Savannah Marshall is ready to conquer MMA mountain

The undisputed super middleweight champion of the world surprised fans earlier this year when it was announced the Hartlepool star had signed a multi-year deal with the Professional Fighters League in the world of mixed martial arts. The deal came shortly after Marshall achieved her dream of becoming an undisputed champion when defeating Franchon Crews-Dezurn in her headline bout in Manchester this summer.

There’s no denying Marshall’s career has taken off over the course of the last two years which included her historic showdown with Claressa Shields in 2022. But for Marshall, although boxing will remain at the forefront of her immediate plans, it is about seizing the next opportunity as she continues to train for her MMA debut after admitting the chance to develop her legacy further with the PFL was too good to turn down.

“It’s just about the opportunity,” Marshall explained in an exclusive interview with global sports streaming platform DAZN.

“MMA is something I’ve been interested in since pre-COVID. I saw how much MMA promoters were really pushing females at the time and female boxing was kind of not going anywhere. So my ears pricked up then, but I never really gave it much thought.

“I’d done a very, very little bit of training and then the opportunity came with the PFL and it was too good to walk away from.

“It is definitely [getting me remotivated]. With boxing I’ve reached the pinnacle. I'm the undisputed champion, I’ve won everything there is to win. So I’m at the top of the mountain now and I’m ready to conquer a new mountain.

“Boxing still takes priority,” she added. “But I've never really taken [MMA] seriously, whereas now it’s totally changed.

“At the minute I’ve got a couple of people in mind for teams and things like that and I’m going to start going around and forming relationships to see where I'm comfortable because it’s a brutal, brutal sport. Boxing is there, but this is the next level up.”

Marshall is currently inactive from the fight scene after undergoing surgery to her hand for an injury picked up in her majority decision win over Crews-Dezurn in July. The Hartlepool fighter has teased potential fight news in the near future with suggestions of a spring return to the boxing ring on the cards.

And that return could be a rematch with the American, Crews-Dezurn, after she outpointed Marshall’s mandatory challenger Shadasia Green in Orlando, Florida last week to regain the WBC super middleweight title.

Speaking ahead of her unanimous decision victory over Green, Crews-Dezurn referenced her fight with Marshall in the summer and how she would like the opportunity to set the record straight with the Brit.

“I think I'm deserving of that. I gave her the opportunity. She was in a position I'm in now," Crews-Dezurn told Sky Sports. "It was a very close fight, it should have been a draw.

"My only goal is to become world champion again, have the opportunity to come over there to the beautiful fans of the UK, fight Savannah again and just shut people up."