‘I loved it' – Boxer Savannah Marshall not giving up on MMA despite having to drop down to beginners class with teens

Scottish Sun

8 hours ago

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SAVANNAH MARSHALL is not giving up on her career in MMA - despite having to start from the very bottom in the beginners class.
Marshall began boxing aged 12 and admitted boredom started to creep up after over 20 YEARS of rinse and repeat.
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Savannah Marshall began training in MMA in 2024
Credit: Instagram @aspinallbjj
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She trains at Tom Aspinall's gym
Credit: Instagram @zacfagan_
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She even had to start out in the beginners class
Credit: Instagram @fightingforfitness85
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She won her MMA debut in June 2024
Credit: PFL
But last year, the boxing champion signed with the Professional Fighters League to make her debut in MMA.
And she did so with victory over Mirela Vargas in June 2024 after training alongside UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
But Marshall had to earn her stripes the hard way - which meant starting up with the other novices.
She told SunSport: "I absolutely loved it, it's brilliant.
"I was learning something new, I kind of got the spark back for it like competing again. I've boxed for 23 years now, so it's a long, long time.
"I felt like an absolute novice for the first time in a long time, having to go to a beginner MMA class with 15 year old kids."
After making her MMA debut, Marshall has been out of the ring since July 2023 when she beat Franchon Crews-Dezurn.
But now Marshall returns on Friday in New York as part of a historic all-women's card airing on Netflix.
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Katie Taylor headlines in a trilogy bout against Amanda Serrano - as Marshall meets Shadasia Green in a bout years in the making.
Marshall said: "To be honest, me and Shadasia were meant to fight a while ago.
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"It's been two or three times it's been close, we've been mentioned in the same conversation.
"So for it to follow an all female bill and not only that on Netflix, is massive.
"The numbers of Netflix pulls in beats Sky, TNT, it blows all those out of the water, so there's no bigger platform. I'm over the moon really."
Marshall became undisputed super-middleweight champ when she beat Crews-Dezurn.
Due to inactivity, Marshall, 34, only holds the IBF belt from her unified collection with opponent Green, 35, inheriting the WBO version.
So Marshall - now signed to Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotion - bids to win back the belt she never actually lost in the ring.
She said: "She's got my belt. It's not really hers, is it? She's not really a world champion because she didn't beat the champion.
"You can't really call yourself a world champion, you never boxed a champion."