#1619 - Claressa Shields

Joe Rogan (0:04)

The Joe Rogan Experience.

Claressa Shields (0:14)

Welcome.

Joe Rogan (0:14)

What's happening? How are you?

Claressa Shields (0:15)

I'm good. How are you, Joe?

Joe Rogan (0:17)

Wonderful. It's a pleasure to get to meet you and have you on here. I'm a big fan.

Claressa Shields (0:21)

Thank you.

Joe Rogan (0:22)

You, in a young life, you have accomplished incredible things. For people that don't know, you won the Olympic gold medalist at 17 and then you won it again four years later.

Claressa Shields (0:34)

Yep, two time Olympic gold medalist.

Joe Rogan (0:35)

The only American boxer ever.

I think only in other sports. No boxer's ever done that, right?

Claressa Shields (0:42)

In America. No, not from America.

Joe Rogan (0:44)

Just me. And you've gone multiple weight classes, and now you're considering fighting in MMA. You kind of cleared out boxing in a lot of ways.

Claressa Shields (0:56)

It's always something more to be accomplished in boxing. But I'm venturing off into MMA because I really want to see as great as I think I am.

And I think I am. So I'm excited to be fighting with the PFL later on this year. And just taking it from there and see what happens.

Joe Rogan (1:16)

Well, I think when someone is as good as you are at boxing, you could basically do anything you want in life.

You just have to put the same amount of focus that you put on boxing to whatever it is that you apply yourself to. You know, rare human beings that can do what you've been able to do. It's a rare person.

Claressa Shields (1:35)

Five piece. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. So in MMA, I'm not coming over like, hey, I'm in boxing, I'm going to box while you girls up.

It's like I'm at Jackson Wing Gym, you know, with Coach Jackson.

Joe Rogan (1:47)

I've seen you kick the bag. I've seen you throw kicks. I was very impressed. I can't believe you're already that good.

It's really I was like, well, maybe she but you were throwing high kicks.

Claressa Shields (1:57)

Yeah, I didn't know my leg can go up that high. They showed me the technique up and I was like, whoa, this is insane.

Joe Rogan (2:02)

Do you stretch all the time? Are you a person who like when you were boxing? I mean, I know most athletes stretch, but having a full split is not really it's not really required to punch people.

But you obviously have very flexible legs.

Claressa Shields (2:18)

I've been doing yoga for the past few months.

So I was able to kick high when I first went to Jackson Wing Gym in December. I was able to kick high, but not for very long. I probably would get two or three good high kicks. Now I'm like, yo, let's bring it down a level. Now from all the stretching, when they got that pad up there and they like kick it, I just do the form and my leg can go up there over and over and over again, just from the stretching and actually being a bit more flexible than what I was before. So I stretch, but I stretch more serious now.

Joe Rogan (2:49)

What brought you into yoga?

Claressa Shields (2:52)

Really, it was the MMA fans, to be honest. They're like, you're going to have to stretch. And you know people are on there talking trash or whatever, trolls, but they were saying, like I read a lot of comments, and I'm like, they're like, you know, she's going to have a problem with kicking. She's not flexible. Her legs are big, blah, blah, blah. So I would read some of that stuff and do my own research.

And I'm like, damn, they're right.

So my goal for one of my New Year's resolutions was to be able to do the splits by the end of the year. So I have a yoga teacher, and me and her go, like, up on Zoom twice a week, and she's like having me do these stretches, and I'm like, girl, you is something else. Her name is Sakina.

Joe Rogan (3:34)

Have you done hot yoga ever?

Claressa Shields (3:36)

No, not yet. I heard it's brutal, though. It's more of a mental thing.

Joe Rogan (3:40)

It is brutal, for sure. But one good thing about it is when you get that hot and sweaty, your muscles become really pliable, and you can make really good gains that way in terms of flexibility.

Claressa Shields (3:51)

Oh, wow. Maybe I should try it with Sakina.

Joe Rogan (3:53)

Yeah, I always find that I'm way more flexible in hot yoga class than I am anywhere else.