VIDEO | Claressa Shields shows off her first-ever kicks amid talk of Amanda Nunes fight

There’s recently been a lot of buzz surrounding a crossover showdown between three-division boxing champ Claressa Shields and two-division UFC champion Amanda Nunes. Shields has even suggested she’d be willing to fight Nunes under the MMA rule-set.

The boxing champ appears to have been serious about those comments.

On Friday, the 24-year-old shared footage of herself drilling kicks and knees with a trainer. She claims the footage shows the very first kicks she’s ever thrown, and reminded fans to moderate their criticisms based on that.

See the footage below, via her official Twitter account.

https://twitter.com/Claressashields/status/1225841483082862592

https://twitter.com/Claressashields/status/1225841697764061185

“First time ever throwing a kick in my life!,” Shields wrote. “Save the criticism, you guys couldn’t throw a jab like me on the first day. To be continued though, I enjoyed practice.”

“Save the criticism it was my first time,” Shields added in another Tweet. “But I am serious about transitioning!”

https://twitter.com/Claressashields/status/1225845866969403395

“Not gonna lie, my heart start beating fast walking into the kickboxing class,” Shields continued. “I was nervous as hell.”

Speaking to BJPENN.com recently, Shields divulged that she’s also begun working on her wrestling — a key item in the MMA toolkit — and that she intends to train with light heavyweight champion Jon Jones.

“I’m starting my training this year, 2020,” Shields told BJPENN.com. “I’ve been able to catch on to things very fast, learn and I’ve had some great people who have reached out to me. I’ll be going to camp with Jon Jones, I believe, at the end of February just to see if I can get into the whole training thing and do what he does because he’s so great. I’m looking forward to it.

“I’ve already had my wrestling done with Adaline Gray who was an Olympic wrestler, multiple time world champion wrestler. We did some work together and she was shocked at how quick I caught on to landing a takedown and avoiding a takedown. She was putting everything in my head right there and I thought it would be the worst training ever because I hate when people grab me — just in boxing, being a boxer you want to be free and loose to punch — but when we were working, I wasn’t irritated when she was grabbing me. If you teach me how to have some defense, and how I can get the takedown myself, I’m perfectly fine. I don’t like going into anything blind. I learned a lot and I have plenty of video in case I forget, but I’m ready to get super consistent with it.”

Do you think Claressa Shields can successfully transition into MMA?

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 2/7/2020.