A rare crossover from top boxer to MMA fighter happened last night in Newcastle as one of the ring’s best made her way into the cage.
Savannah Marshall bucked the trend of MMA fighters coming into boxing as she made her first appearance under the PFL banner in front of a packed crowd at the Utilitia Arena. She faced the game Brazilian Mirela Vargas in her debut and landed a stoppage in the first after a gruelling round.
Watching at cageside was Marshall’s long-time nemesis Claressa Shields, who goaded her after the fact for her inability to defend against leg kicks. The pair then faced off in the cage after the fact, and are expected to settle their feud down the road under the PFL banner.
Savannah Marshall struggles as she lands first round KO in MMA debut
It wasn’t all plain sailing for the undisputed super-middleweight boxing champion in her first cage outing. She was almost immediately put down with a vicious leg kick, and struggled with even the weakest of takedown attempts.
The Brit was, however, able to show her elite level boxing at multiple points. And if comparisons needed to be made between her and Shields, it would appear that her ability to land clean shots during the periods on the feet was slightly clearer than her rival.
The key issue for Marshall was the attack on her legs, as she struggled to hold her footing under leg kicks or grappling pressure. Almost every attempt at a takedown, even all the way down at her feet, resulted in the fight going to the floor.
But in the end, that striking gap was just too big to overcome as Marshall landed a number of unanswered strikes to Vargas. With just seconds left on the clock before the end of the first, the Brazilian shelled up and the fight was stopped, handing the boxer her first win in the cage.
Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields agree to MMA fight after PFL Newcastle
Immediately after the fight, Shields was allowed into the cage for a face-off with her rival, whom she boxed in front of a sold out O2 Arena in October of 2022. The pair also fought in the amateurs, and Marshall is the last woman to beat Shields in the ring.
“Where’s my pal Claressa?” Marshall goaded after getting herself up from the ground, which is an issue Shields has had in her three previous MMA outings. “You see that? That’s how you get up off the floor, babe.”
Shields was respectful at first with a handshake and congratulations. But immediately their banter began, with the American noting that Marshall “looked worse than me in my first MMA fight, you looked way worse.”
And Marshall, whose sole loss as a professional came against Shields on that historic London night, immediately asked if they would be fighting in the cage next. “I’ll fight you in the cage,” Shields said, almost bemused by the offer. “Why not?”
After an awkward hug, the pair were then squared off in the cage, with Shields offering a martial arts pose. But Marshall went in for the takedown, letting her know that such an option is a possibility when the pair fight down the road.
First, however, Shields is moving up to light-heavyweight for her next boxing outing this July. She will return to the Little Caesars’ Arena in Detroit to face Canadian Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in a 175lb contest for a rare third unified set of world titles.
- THERE FOR THE TAKING: ‘Bonecrusher’ leaves UFC for PFL after winning last fight as he eyes $1million prize