Claressa Shields may have a new battle on her hands. She won a split decision against Kelsey DeSantis on last Saturday’s PFL MMA fight card in Saudi Arabia.
Two notable events arose from the match. First, Claressa Shields avoided a submission after being locked in a painful armbar, a moment that became popular on the Internet. Second, Claressa Shields’ feud with Cris Cyborg heated up even more.
“I don’t care about Cris Cyborg and she knows it”, said Claressa Shields the assembled media backstage after her fight. “Cris Cyborg can’t beat me in a fight and she knows it”, added she.
The two were sparring partners at one point, often complimenting each other. However, Claressa Shields’ entry into MMA and Cris Cyborg’s entry into the world of boxing seem to have strained their relationship.
Cris Cyborg criticized Claressa Shields, who was fighting in the featherweight division, before the bout with Kelsey DeSantis. She also took aim at Shields’ MMA abilities on social media platform X.
“Even at featherweight, I might be able to win this fight without throwing a single punch”, wrote Cris Cyborg.
Claressa Shields then responded, referring to Cyborg’s boxing abilities.
“She can’t beat me in boxing. Why does she care about my weight class and what weight class I’ve fought in?”, wrote Claressa Shields. “Cris Cyborg is crazy because she turned down a fight with Larissa Pacheco, the PFL champion…”, added she.
Claressa Shields is the first woman to win an MMA match in Saudi Arabia. She adds that to the fact that she is a two-time Olympic gold medalist, a three-division world champion and an undisputed two-division champion.
