Tearful Claressa Shields says she 'almost got my arm snapped' during MMA bout in Saudi Arabia before the converted boxer scored split-decision win: 'It's not easy what I'm trying to do'

A tearful Claressa Shields admitted she felt her arm nearly snap in Saturday's  mixed-martial victory victory in Saudi Arabia.

The undefeated boxer and two-time Olympic gold medalist was moonlighting in the cage once again, where she grinded out a split-decision win over Kelsey DeSantis to improve to 2-1 as an MMA lightweight.

'I almost got my arm snapped in a freaking armbar,' Shields said in her post-fight interview. 'I had to fight out of that.'

Shields, who also battled a severe cramp, became emotional when describing the difficult transition to MMA.

'It's not easy what I'm trying to do and I've been so respectful of the sport,' she said. 'I put a lot of hard work in, I'm going to go back to the gym and work harder.

A tearful Claressa Shields said she almost felt her arm snap in PFL fight in Saudi Arabia

De Santis takes a punch against Shields during the 2024 PFL vs Bellator: Champs event

'There was days in camp where I was literally in tears,' she continued. 'I was not considering going back to the gym because it was so hard but I forced myself to go back and that's how I got the win tonight.'

The fight was part of the PFL vs. Bellator event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Renan Ferreira beat Ryan Bader with a first-round TKO in the main event.

While Shields is still improving as an MMA fighter, boxing's premiere female fighter should have plenty of options in both sports going forward.

There's even a chance she could have a rematch with Savannah Marshall, whom she beat in the boxing ring in 2022. The pair could conceivably have an MMA bout next.

Claressa Shields celebrates after defeating Kelsey De Santis on Saturday in Riyadh

'Savannah needs to understand - and the sooner she understands the better - you can't beat me in nothing,' Shields told Sky Sports. 'The sooner she understands that the better we'll all be. Just give it up.

'We can fight boxing, I'm going to win. We can fight MMA, I'm going to win. We can streetfight, I'm going to win. It doesn't matter. We can play ping pong, I'm going to win.'

Shields has been critical of boxing, calling the sport sexist and pointing to some six- and seven-figure paydays for women in MMA. 

'Kayla [Harrison], I watch all her fights,' Shields said on social media in 2020. 'She had a chance to fight for a million dollars [in MMA] before I had a chance to fight for a million dollars in boxing and I've accomplished everything there is to accomplish in boxing.'