Boxing great Claressa Shields says Jon Jones can do well in the sweet science.
Jon Jones is a really well-rounded MMA fighter, which has helped him dominate foes of different styles and stay at the top of the light heavyweight division for a decade now.
That being said, his boxing hasn’t been his biggest strength, and it’s arguably the area where he can most improve on. Interestingly enough, Claressa Shields thinks he can do well enough to transition to heavyweight boxing.
The two-time Olympic gold medalist and three-division boxing champion has been training with Jones ahead of her MMA debut, and she has high praise for the former UFC champion’s skills and potential.
“I can see Jonny Bones making a transition from MMA to boxing,” Shields told Heavy.com. “Heavyweight boxing, that’s what I see.”
She thinks their relationship can be mutually beneficial as Jones can improve his boxing, while Shields can learn MMA from one of the best to have ever done it.
“Jonny Bones is a serious person especially when it comes to training and his teaching. We’ve had two classes to where I spent countless hours with Johnny Bones and he was teaching me and breaking stuff down that looked so complex, but breaking it down into 1-2-3-4… breaking it down into steps from the beginning.
“So I look at him as a serious guy. So if I was to show him what I know in boxing and shows me what he knows in MMA, I believe that when he learns these simple basics with his hands and how to stand… Awww man. I think he would be so freakin’ dangerous in boxing because he’s really just… inside that cage. I mean, we all seen it. He’s a dangerous guy.”
Shields has signed with the PFL and is looking to make her MMA debut in 2021. Jones, on the other hand, is reportedly being lined up for the heavyweight title and could face the winner of Stipe Miocic vs Francis Ngannou.
