Undisputed super middleweight women’s boxing world champion Savannah Marshall took herself out of her comfort zone and claimed a crowd-pleasing victory as she kicked off her career in mixed martial arts with a first-round TKO win.
Marshall headlined PFL Newcastle in her home town, and faced some early adversity as she was taken to the canvas by Brazilian opponent Mirela Vargas. But, in a wild first outing under MMA rules, “The Silent Assassin” showed good composure and some solid basics as she managed to work her way back to her feet on each occasion.
Marshall was cornered by UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall and his father Andy, and her time spent in their gym clearly paid dividends as her ability to get the fight back to the feet ensured the bout stayed in her realm, where she could put her educated fists to good use.
And with the action in the striking realm, Marshall let her hands go as she lit up Vargas with a succession of powerful, accurate punches as the Brazilian swung for the fences in an attempt to stun the world boxing champion.
But it was Marshall’s night, as she put her world class boxing skills to good use to finish Vargas and claim an entertaining TKO victory to kick off her fledgling MMA career with a stoppage win.
“Thank God I can punch, Jesus!” she exclaimed after the fight.
“I’ve only been doing this nine months – I’ve absolutely loved it. But these MMA fighters… you’ve got to be a little bit crazy to do this!”
She then teased her longtime rival Claressa Shields, who has also crossed over to the PFL, saying, “Where’s my pal Claressa? See that? That’s how you get back off the floor, babe!”
Marshall reacts to her victorious MMA debut
Coming in as a boxing world champion, Marshall brought a big name, and a big fanbase, with her to the Utilita Arena. But despite her credentials inside the boxing ring, she knows she’s still a novice in the all-encompassing world of mixed martial arts, and she’s clearly relished the new challenge of adapting and expanding her skillset to fit the PFL SmartCage.
“I’ve absolutely loved it – the whole build-up, fight week, the whole nine months of training,” she said.
“The whole MMA community has really welcomed me. I did think they’d think, ‘Who’s this? Does she think she’s going to just walk in and steamroll everyone?’ But look, it’s a tough, tough sport, and I take my hat off to everyone who does it.”
She also paid tribute to her opponent, who showed plenty of grit and toughness before eventually succumbing to Marshall’s strikes late in the opening round.
“Thank god I can punch! Mirela’s game, she’s a good, good opponent, a kickboxing world champion. So fair play to her for coming over,” she said, before explaining how she wasn’t able to ease her way into the contest in the same way she often does in her boxing matches.
“In boxing, you can take your time, you can have a look. You don’t normally get going until about three or four rounds in. But here, they’re just on you from the very first bell.”
Marshall has made no secret of her desire to face her longtime rival Shields under MMA rules, and with the American jetting across the pond to lend her support for Marshall’s debut, the pair playfully faced off ahead of a potential matchup later this year.
Tuke edges Mousah to claim hard-earned win
In the co-main event, Ireland’s Dylan Tuke did just enough to edge a super-competitive clash with Kane Mousah in their lightweight bout.
The pair, who faced off in a lightweight showcase bout, battled back and forth through the full 15 minute duration in a bout that saw both men enjoy successes during different stages of the contest.
When they pair lined up to hear the verdict, both men were hopeful of success, but it was Tuke who was named the victor, with the scorecards reading 29-28, 30-27, 29-28 in his favour.
Grant slams, then finishes, Leary
Also on the main card, we saw a remarkable finish from Jack Grant, who needed just 41 seconds to claim an emphatic TKO finish of fellow UK MMA veteran Charlie Leary.
With the pair engaged in the clinch, Grant picked up Leary, then slammed him hard onto his shoulders, then finished the job with follow-up strikes to claim an attention-grabbling victory.
McGrillen outpoints Zaharovs
In the eagerly-awaited featherweight clash between Lewis McGrillen and Matiss Zaharovs, the two rivals battled back and forth over the full 15-minute duration, with “The McGrizzler” picking up the unanimous decision victory with 29-28 scores on each of the three judges’ scorecards.
The lead-up to the fight had been filled with lively banter and some trash talk between the pair, but they managed to keep things on the right side of the line as they raised the profile of their fight without letting things go out of control.
And after their three-round battle had concluded, the pair squashed any beef that remained between them as the shook hands and embraced before the judges delivered their verdict.
Dyer demolishes Torchinava with highlight-reel KO
In the main card opener, flyweight starlet Shanelle Dyer added another highlight reel finish to her growing collection with a stunning head-kick finish of Marian Torchinava.
Dyer lit up Torchinava with punches against the cage, then unleashed a right high kick that knocked out her opponent instantly for the biggest KO finish of the night, and one of the best knockouts of the year so far.
HIGHLIGHT REEL HEADKICK KO! 😳
Shanelle Dyer stops Torchinava with a inch perfect headkick in the first round!#PFLNewcastle | LIVE NOW ON DAZN pic.twitter.com/GGchjJ46ZJ
— PFL Europe (@PFLEurope) June 8, 2024
PFL Newcastle: Official results
MAIN CARD
- Savannah Marshall def. Mirela Vargas via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 4:27
- Dylan Tuke def. Kane Mousah via unanimous decision (29-28, 30-27, 29-28)
- Jack Grant def. Charlie Leary via TKO (slam and punches) – Round 1, 0:41
- Lewis McGrillen def. Matiss Zaharovs via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Shanelle Dyer def. Mariam Torchinava via knockout (head kick) – Round 1, 3:53
PRELIMINARY CARD
- Ibragim Ibragimov def. Josh Reed via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 1, 0:50
- Julien Pierre Lopez def. Dominique Wooding via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 1, 3:10
- Karolina Wojcik def. Lizzy Gevers via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- Claudio Pacella def. Mark Ewen via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 30-27)
- Khurshed Kakhorov def. Tuomas Gronvall via knockout (punch) – Round 3, 1:11
- Valentina Scatizzi def. Marie Loiseau via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Ben Woolliss def. Nikola Ivanovic via TKO (knees and punches) – Round 1, 4:02
- Alexander Luster def. Alperen Karabulut via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 1:59
- Paulina Wisniewska def. Dee Begley via TKO (punches) – Round 2, 3:08
