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A rare crossover from top boxer to MMA fighter happened last night in Newcastle as certainly 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 on the Utilitia Arena. She faced the sport Brazilian Mirela Vargas in her debut and landed a stoppage in the primary after a gruelling round.
Watching at cageside was Marshall’s long-time nemesis Claressa Shields, who goaded her after the actual fact for her inability to defend against leg kicks. The pair then faced off within the cage after the actual 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, nevertheless, in a position to show her elite level boxing at multiple points. And if comparisons needed to be made between her and Shields, it could appear that her ability to land clean shots through the periods on the feet was barely clearer than her rival.
The important thing issue for Marshall was the attack on her legs, as she struggled to carry her footing under leg kicks or grappling pressure. Almost every attempt at a takedown, even all the best way down at her feet, resulted within the fight going to the ground.
But in the long run, that striking gap was just too big to beat as Marshall landed various unanswered strikes to Vargas. With just seconds left on the clock before the tip of the primary, the Brazilian shelled up and the fight was stopped, handing the boxer her first win within the cage.
Savannah Marshall and Claressa Shields conform to MMA fight after PFL Newcastle
Immediately after the fight, Shields was allowed into the cage for a face-off together with her rival, whom she boxed in front of a sold out O2 Arena in October of 2022. The pair also fought within the amateurs, and Marshall is the last woman to beat Shields within the ring.
“Where’s my pal Claressa?” Marshall goaded after getting herself up from the bottom, which is a difficulty Shields has had in her three previous MMA outings. “You see that? That’s the way you stand up off the ground, 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 knowledgeable got here against Shields on that historic London night, immediately asked in the event that they could be fighting within the cage next. “I’ll fight you within the cage,” Shields said, almost bemused by the offer. “Why not?”
After an ungainly hug, the pair were then squared off within 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, nevertheless, Shields is moving as much as light-heavyweight for her next boxing outing this July. She is going to 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.
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