Who is Brittney Elkin, the fighter Claressa Shields will face in her MMA debut?

Claressa Shields will make her debut as a professional mixed martial artist on June 10. The multi-division boxing world champion will face Brittney Elkin in a showcase fight, seperate from the regular-season tournament, under the PFL banner.

BREAKING: @Claressashields faces off against Brittney Elkin at #2021PFL4 on June 10th! pic.twitter.com/Ke3G5mMTsg

— PFL (@PFLMMA) April 14, 2021

Brittney Elkin has appeared on a PFL card before, back in 2018. She faced Kayla Harrison in the second regular season of PFL. Brittney Elkin lost the fight after tapping out to an armbar submission.

Elkin holds a professional record of 3-6. All nine of her fights spanned over many of the best MMA promotions, including Bellator, FTW and, of course, PFL.

Brittney Elkin last competed in an MMA bout against Bobbi Jo Dalziel in 2019 at NMEF Annihilation 65. Unfortunately, Brittney Elkin ended up injuring her arm and the fight was stopped. Brittney Elkin retired from MMA after her injury.

However, it appears the BJJ brown belt is ready to compete again. Welcoming a world boxing champion to the MMA canvas poses as a great comeback opportunity. About facing Claressa Shields, Brittney Elkin said -

"I’m very grateful to be back in PFL and to have this opportunity to square off with Claressa Shields. I know she is a great boxer but this is MMA and I plan to show everyone that I am a well-rounded fighter who can compete wherever the fight takes me." [Quote courtesy: MMA Mania]

Claressa Shields talks about cementing legacy as "greatest woman of all time" ahead of MMA debut against Brittney Elkin

Claressa Shields said in a statement her MMA debut is extremely crucial as a part of the professional vision she has for herself. The undisputed Light Middleweight champion of the world has been training at the Jackson Wink MMA Academy, home to great fighters like Jon Jones and Holly Holm.

Claressa Shields will compete in the 155 lbs or Lightweight division in MMA. On her aspirations for her recent PFL signing, she said -

"I am very excited to cement my legacy as the greatest woman of all time. I cannot wait to step into the PFL cage for the first time on June 10 and show the world that I never back down from a challenge. I have shown I am the best boxer in the world and eventually I intend to do the same thing as a mixed martial artist."

The MMA debut of @Claressashields now has a date and opponent 📆 pic.twitter.com/TXBFrwXDp2

— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) April 14, 2021