Bellator star Cris Cyborg is backing her good friend, three division champion Claressa Shields, to be successful in mixed martial arts.

Shields will make her first mixed martial arts debut on June 10 with the Professional Fighters League [PFL] organization.

"I believe Claressa will do great," said Cyborg to Sky Sports. "She is young, has time to learn a lot. She has amazing skills in boxing and every [MMA fight] starts standing up. Her opponents have to be careful."

For several years, Cyborg has been discussing her desire to cross over and have a boxing match.

She initially wanted Cecilia Braekhus, who at the time was the undisputed welterweight champion, but the meeting never came together.

But in the last year she's kept her interest on a potential showdown with undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor.

"[Bellator president] Scott Coker said maybe we do one boxing fight and one MMA fight," Cyborg told Sky Sports.

"I don't have a problem with that. If I have time to train for boxing, I will have no problem. I love challenges. Boxing is one of my dreams. I know Taylor is skilled, I know how good she is. I have nothing to lose.

"For a boxing fight I would need time to focus just on boxing. So I don't think it will be this year because I have a lot of MMA fights. Next year? Maybe."

Coker previously stated that his organization would not prevent a potential showdown between Cyborg and Taylor.

"Why does it always have to be the MMA fighter going to become a boxer? Why can't it be the other way around? In saying that, if Cyborg really wants to fight her, she wants to go to boxing and win a title? She wants to fight Katie? We would step aside and let them get it on. We aren't going to be the ones to stop this fight from happening," Coker said.