It wasn’t the prettiest fight, but former undisputed super middleweight champion Savannah Marshall emerged victorious in her mixed martial arts debut against Mirela Vargas.
Marshall (13-1, 10 KO Boxing, 1-0 MMA) was predictably vicious on the feet and inept with her leg kick defense and leg kick defense against the hand-picked Vargas (1-3 MMA); Marshall would tee off with heavy combinations, Vargas would hit an easy desperation takedown, Marshall would force her way back to the feet, and repeat until Vargas shelled up against the fence and the referee stepped in.
Though the prognosis is grim for Marshall against any halfway-competent grappler or kicker, we all know who’s in her sights: Claressa Shields, who joined her in the cage afterwards for a remarkably friendly standoff. Marshall proposed a rematch under MMA rules and Shields agreed, though Marshall will have to wait until Shields deals with Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse in the ring on July 27th.
“THAT’S HOW YOU GET UP OFF THE FLOOR BABE!”
Savannah Marshall fires shots at Claressa Shields after her MMA debut victory, and both agree to a MMA fight in the SmartCage! #PFLNewcastle | LIVE NOW ON DAZN pic.twitter.com/9CHafMDMiN
— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) June 8, 2024
Honestly, I’m down to watch them run it back with tiny gloves. Make it happen.