Savannah Marshall is set to make her MMA debut later today in her home city of Newcastle upon Tyne.
She will be featuring on the PFL Europe card at the Utilita Arena which will be live in a number of regions on DAZN, and it will be Mirela Vargas in the opposite corner as she looks to spoil the party.
If Marshall is able to start her career in MMA with a win, then a showdown with rival and fellow PFL fighter Claressa Shields inside the cage could be on the cards. The two have met inside the ring in 2022 for the undisputed women's middleweight title, and it was a fight Shields won by unanimous decision.
Shields will be cageside tonight when Marshall goes head-to-head with Vargas, and while the American is supporting her British rival, she did send a warning when it comes to fighting inside the cage and why it is different to boxing.
“It’s a mental game,” Shields told BoxingScene.
“She’ll be surprised when she gets in the cage and hears that ‘click-click’ and they lock you in the cage.
“I think she’ll be surprised that her opponent won’t respect her punching. They never do. Their whole game is to take 20 shots just to get that one takedown on you and then you’re on the ground for the rest of that round.
“You have to switch between so many fights and you have to realize what type of fight you’re doing. You can’t be trying to box when you’re on the ground while the other person is doing jiu-jitsu. You have to change with them and compete on every level.”
Shields' next outing in the PFL is yet to be announced, but her next fight in the world of boxing has been made official with Shields going up against Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse for the WBC women's heavyweight title on July 27, and the contest will be available on DAZN worldwide.
Live on DAZN: Subriel Matias vs. Liam Paro on June 15. Click here for details.