MMA debut for fighter Marshall
THE Professional Fighters League (PFL) returns to Newcastle upon Tyne with a bang this summer, with a card headlined by North East boxing champion Savannah Marshall.
The stacked card includes Bantamweight and Women’s Flyweight fights, with stars looking to secure a spot in the PFL’s European Playoffs this September.
The event will see local hero Marshall make her MMA debut against Brazil’s Mirela Vargas, as well as a whole host of other top-quality contests.
The event takes place at the Newcastle Utilita Arena come June 8, and will also be available to watch on DAZN from 5pm onwards.
Speaking on the PFL’s return to the North East, Head of Fighter Operations Dan Hardy, said: “We can’t wait to come back to Newcastle on June 8, where PFL Europe officially launched in 2023.
“Our Bantamweight and Women’s flyweight rosters are packed with quality and represent the best that the elite European MMA scene has to offer, and with the Regular Season format all of these fighters know what’s at the end of the line - the European title, $100k and a pathway to our Global Season.
“But it wouldn’t be a PFL Europe event without a stacked evening of showcase bouts, and we have a great selection of future stars, simmering tensions and a local hero in Savannah Marshall making her MMA debut.”
After a high-profile signing which shook the sports world last year, North East native Marshall hopes to craft a trade in the PFL SmartCage. She has 10 victories by knockout through her illustrious boxing career, and joins familiar foe Claressa Shields with the PFL.
Her first test in MMA comes in the form of Vargas - a three-fight professional who will be entering enemy territory when she challenges Marshall in front of a partisan crowd.
The 2024 PFL Europe Season began last month with an incredible sold-out show in Paris, before rolling into Newcastle at Utilita Arena on June 8, and moving into new territory in Glasgow for a huge night of playoff action at OVO Hydro on September 28.
The season will conclude with an epic Championship event at a venue to be announced in the near future.
Speaking ahead of the event, PFL CEO Peter Murray, said: “The Professional Fighters League prides itself on having the best athletes in the world on its roster and on June 8, PFL welcomes boxing world champion and combat sports Icon Savannah Marshall to the SmartCage for her MMA debut, where she will compete in front of her hometown fans in Newcastle.
“Savannah and Claressa Shields competed in one of the mostwatched women’s boxing matchups in history when they first fought, and now with Savannah’s MMA debut, the two are on a collision course for a rematch wearing four ounce gloves and settling the score in the PFL SmartCage.”