Claressa Shields might have a new battle on her hands.

Shields picked up a split-decision against Kelsey DeSantis as a part of the PFL MMA fight card last Saturday in Saudi Arabia.

Two things came from the bout; firstly, Shields didn’t tap from a painful armbar submission hold that went viral, and two, her feud with Cris “Cyborg” Justino continued.

UPDATED NEWS ;Claressa Shields Threatens Cris Cyborg With Potential Lawsuit for Her Recent Remarks: “You Better Stop Lying”

The two were sparring partners at one point, often complimenting each other. Yet Shields’s foray into MMA and Cyborg’s entry into the boxing world appears to have strained their relationship.

Cyborg was critical of Shields fighting at catchweight before the DeSantis bout. She also took aim at Shields’s MMA abilities on the social media platform, X.

“Even at 165lbs I might be able to win that fight without throwing a single punch,” she wrote.

 

Shields then replied, referring to Cyborg’s boxing ability.

“Cris Cyborg is mad, because she turned down a fight with Larissa Pacheco, the PFL champion…”

RELATED NEWS ;MMA star Claressa Shields’ next big fight is a first for women in Saudi Arabia

History-maker Shields will be a trivia question as the first woman to win an MMA match in Saudi Arabia. Shields adds that to being a two-time Olympic gold medalist, three-division world champion and two-division undisputed champion.

This comes 18 months after Ramla Ali became the first woman to win a fight in Saudi Arabia.