Savannah Marshall starts MMA journey with hope for Shields rematch

Ahead of her pro MMA debut, Savannah Marshall no doubt is focused on who’s directly in front of her.

But don’t think for a minute she’s not big-picturing her transition to MMA with an eye on the only woman to beat her in the boxing ring: Claressa Shields.

Marshall (0-0) next month has her pro debut against Mirela Vargas (1-2) to headline PFL Europe 2 in Newcastle, England. And if she can get through that, well, she’ll find herself conveniently in the same PFL promotion as Shields (2-1), who outpointed her in a 2022 boxing match.

But first, she has to just make a smooth crossover to a new sport.

“Training has been hard – real hard,” Marshall told PFL Europe. “It’s been a massive change, but one I’ve really enjoyed. I’m enjoying learning new skills and enjoying the adjustments I’ve made from being a boxer. I’ve been doing it for about nine months now and I’m really excited. This is a chapter I never thought I would have, so this is all a bit of a bonus for me.”

Marshall, who turned 33 on Sunday, will be fighting in front of her home fans in England. She recently told MMA Junkie she thought about MMA more than a decade ago, but at the time decided it wasn’t what her journey should be.

But fast forward to 2024, and Marshall might have put herself into a perfect scenario to try to avenge the loss to Shields some day.

“I’ve seen Claressa Shields’ fights in the cage, and I can see how she might struggle with certain things,” Marshall said. “Obviously, what would benefit me in the boxing ring doesn’t really benefit me in MMA – I’m talking about stance-wise. I had to really change how I stand. I have never really taken anything from any of the girls fighting in the PFL because everyone is different, and I am going to adapt differently. All I can take from Claressa’s fight is that I can point out what she struggled with.”

But before she can hone in on Shields, she has to get through Vargas. Nearly a year after her most recent boxing win in July 2023, that’s what she’ll try to do after an undeniably successful boxing career with multiple titles.

“All I wanted to be was undisputed and have all the belts, and that’s what I’ve done,” Marshall said. “This is a new journey for me. This is a new checklist. This is a new set of goals, and it’s really exciting. This is new, and it’s the unknown, and it’s really got me pumped up. This is something I’ve been missing for a long time in boxing.”