"I was damn near praying for her" - Claressa Shields reacts to boxing nemesis Savannah Marshall's insane MMA debut
Claressa Shields has weighed in on archrival Savannah Marshall's MMA debut. Shields, whose rivalry with the 'Silent Assassin' dates back to their amateur boxing days, congratulated the latter over her incredible victory.
Marshall's maiden professional MMA match was a catchweight (160-pound) bout against Brazil's Mirela Vargas. The fight transpired at PFL Europe 2 (2024) in Newcastle, England, on June 8, 2024. The UK boxing star and debutante MMA fighter was swept to the ground by Vargas' leg kicks and was also stifled by multiple takedowns.
Nevertheless, Marshall's technical boxing and fearsome punching power shined. She managed to stave off Vargas' submission attempts and landed heavy punches on the Brazilian fighter to defeat her via first-round TKO.
Watch highlights from the Marshall-Vargas thriller below:
Claressa Shields was cage-side to watch Savannah Marshall's MMA debut that came under the PFL banner. Shields also happens to be signed to the PFL organization. 'T-Rex' made her MMA debut in June 2021, besting Brittney Elkin via third-round TKO in a lightweight (155-pound) bout.
Shields suffered a split decision defeat against Abigail Montes in Oct. 2021 and apparently turned her focus to boxing again. However, the American boxing star eventually returned to the PFL cage for her third MMA bout, beating Kelsey DeSantis via split decision in a super lightweight (165-pound) bout in Feb. 2024. All three of Shields' MMA bouts have taken place in the PFL.
Moreover, during an interview at PFL Europe 2 (2024) after Marshall's win, Shields acknowledged her longtime rival and stated:
"I want to say congrats to her, man. But when she got taken down, I seen how big her eyes got. I was like, 'Oh, sh**!' I was just, I was damn near praying for her, like, 'Do not get finished in here.' But she was able to use her smarts and get back up. I don't think Mariela [sic] was -- I think she was a good purple belt, but she wasn't strong physically enough to keep Savannah on the ground. And Savannah's extremely strong. And Savannah punches were hurting her."
She added:
"Savannah got hurt with a really bad kick, and then she kept falling and kept falling. But hey, what a way to fight through resilience for four minutes and then come out and win the last round -- I mean, win the last minute by a knockout. Congrats to her."
Check out Claressa Shields' comments below (0:12):
Claressa Shields on a potential MMA fight against Savannah Marshall
Claressa Shields was defeated by Savannah Marshall in the amateur boxing realm but avenged that in professional boxing. Shields beat Marshall via unanimous decision to become the undisputed women's middleweight champion at The O2 Arena in London, England, in Oct. 2022.
'T-Rex' then defended her title by besting Maricela Cornejo via unanimous decision in June 2023. Meanwhile, Marshall returned in July 2023, beating Franchon Crews-Dezurn via majority decision to become the undisputed women's super middleweight champion.
The consensus has long been that a potential Claressa Shields-Savannah Marshall MMA showdown is imminent. They notably greeted one another and teased an MMA clash during Marshall's in-cage post-fight interview.
Furthermore, around Shields' PFL interview's 1:56-minute mark, she expressed interest in an MMA match against Marshall. The 'Silent Assassin' too later reiterated she's open to the idea. Shields asserted:
"I look forward to seeing her down the line, up in the future."