Savannah Marshall Dominates in Sensational MMA Debut

Savannah Marshall made a sensational MMA debut by stopping Mirela Vargas in the first round at PFL Europe in Newcastle, thrilling her home fans. The 33-year-old boxing champion endured takedowns but overwhelmed her opponent with a barrage of punches. After the bout, Claressa Shields joined Marshall in the cage, planning to continue their rivalry in the PFL. Marshall, enthusiastic about her new sport has openly stated her desire to fight Shields under MMA rules, moving to the PFL mainly for this purpose.

Shields, who beat Marshall in 2022, debuted in the PFL in 2021, winning two of three fights. Marshall began MMA training nine months ago due to boxing challenges, receiving loud cheers and training with Tom Aspinall. Wearing a Newcastle United shirt, Marshall looked focused as she entered the cage to a rousing ovation. The round started action-packed, with Marshall’s right hand stinging Vargas, followed by a leg kick wobbling Marshall. Vargas then took Marshall down in the first grappling exchange of the fight.

Despite pundits’ doubts on her grappling, Marshall showcased progress in jiu-jitsu, coached by Aspinall and his father, by standing up. With the crowd fully engaged, Marshall unleashed a series of punches, rocking Vargas with straight lefts and rights. Vargas managed another takedown with a desperate dive at Marshall’s feet. Marshall defended well against Vargas’s arm triangle submission and got back to her feet, unleashing powerful strikes that forced Vargas to cover up.

With a punch advantage of 31-4, the referee stopped the contest. Savannah Marshall praised MMA fighters, enjoyed the experience and acknowledged Vargas as a strong opponent, noting MMA’s intensity. Marshall and Shields shared a moment of respect, agreeing to fight under MMA rules in the PFL. Marshall hinted at a possible boxing return if promoter Ben Shalom makes the right offer. On the same card, Britain’s Jack Grant impressed by back-suplexing Charlie Leary and winning with ground strikes while Shanelle Dyer knocked out Mariam Torchinava with a head kick.

Additionally, the PFL announced the signing of British former UFC fighter Marc Diakiese, who will debut later this year.