Savannah Marshall Embraces the Challenge of Mixed Martial Arts Debut
World super middleweight boxing champion Savannah Marshall is set to make her highly anticipated Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) debut at the PFL event in Newcastle on June 8th. This move comes as a calculated decision to potentially corner her longtime rival, Claressa Shields, into a third bout, as Shields has been competing in the PFL since 2021.
“It was just the opportunity,” Marshall explained to BoxingScene. “I’d won all the belts at super middleweight. The rematch in the ring with Claressa wasn’t happening, and it didn’t look like it was going to happen. The PFL came to me and asked if I’d be interested in having an MMA fight and a potential fight in the cage with Claressa.”
While Marshall has dominated the boxing world, the transition to MMA presents a unique set of challenges. The swiftness at which punishment is handed out in grappling, compared to the more immediate consequences in boxing, has been an eye-opening experience for the seasoned boxer.
“It’s a brilliant sport,” Marshall said. “I’m a bit disappointed I never found it sooner. Especially the grappling and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu [BJJ]. I think that’ll be something I’ll carry on doing when I retire from boxing.”
Despite Shields’ success in MMA, utilizing a boxing-heavy style, Marshall has been surprised by the limited impact of Shields’ outstanding hands in the cage.
“They have. They really have. I was at her last fight in Saudi Arabia and there were times when I thought she had her opponent [Kelsey De Santis] out on her feet but there were times I thought, ‘Why haven’t you finished her? Why haven’t you gone again?’ Then you have to throw in the whole, ‘The takedown could be coming.'”
As Marshall embarks on her MMA journey, she acknowledges the steep learning curve in grappling, where “there are levels” just as in boxing. The British champion’s natural strength and power may provide an advantage, but she understands the complex puzzle of transitioning her boxing skills to the MMA canvas.
“I think the hardest thing to me has been transitioning my boxing stance. What would benefit me in boxing doesn’t benefit me in MMA. You’re a lot more square on, your weight has to be over the front foot. It was a total overhaul for me,” Marshall said.
Whether this MMA venture will be a permanent change of sports for the boxing champion remains to be seen, but for now, Marshall is embracing the challenge and the potential opportunity to face her long-time rival, Claressa Shields, in the cage.
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