Savannah Marshall, the reigning women’s super middleweight boxing champion, is set to make her highly anticipated MMA debut on June 8 at PFL Europe Newcastle in England, the promotion announced on Tuesday.
At 32 years old, the English fighter has achieved remarkable success in the boxing ring. She unified all four major titles in the 168-pound division with a hard-fought majority decision victory over Franchon Crews Dezurn in July 2022. This triumph came shortly after her first professional loss, a controversial decision against the formidable Claressa Shields in October 2022.
Marshall’s impressive record stands at 13 wins and 1 loss, with 10 of those victories coming by way of knockout. Her accomplishments have earned her the No. 7 spot in ESPN’s pound-for-pound women’s boxing rankings.
“Savannah and Claressa Shields competed in one of the most-watched women’s boxing matchups in history when they first fought,” said PFL CEO Peter Murray. “Now, with Savannah’s MMA debut, the two are on a collision course for a rematch wearing four-ounce gloves and settling the score in the PFL SmartCage.”
In her transition to MMA, Marshall will compete in the lightweight division for the PFL. Interestingly, her rival Claressa Shields has already made strides in the sport, boasting a 2-1 record with one finish. Shields made her PFL debut in June 2021 with a victory, followed by a decision loss in October of that year.
Most recently, Shields returned to MMA action in February 2023, securing a win over Kelsey DeSantis at the PFL Champions vs. Bellator Champions event in Saudi Arabia.
Both Marshall and Shields set the stage for an eagerly anticipated rematch between these two boxing greats by now competing in MMA, this time under the unique rules and challenges of mixed martial arts.
