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I was very very impressed by how Savannah Marshall made the transition from boxing pugilist skills and experience to the more free for all, arguably physically tougher mode of fighting in MMA, in her debut fight against Mirela Vargas.
On their feet, Savannah quickly proved her punching speed, technique, variety and power was greatly overmatching that of Vargas, but Mirela showed a good chin (considering she was taking barrages of punches sporadically from the opening bell), toughness and the wherewithal to take Marshall to the ground. Once on the mat, Mirela seemed more at home, but Savannah immediately showed that she had learning fast in the discipline of mat wrestling and managed to use her grabbing skills and physical strength to get Vargas off of her.
Once back on their feet, Savannah would dominate and tee off on Mirela with incredibly heavy punches, and she was in her element when fighting in a boxing like stance. Too be fair to Vargas, she would rush Marshall, grapple her legs and take her down to the floor once again. In my mind, Mirela wasn’t really doing anything once she had taken the fight back to the mat, and seemed to be content whilst laying on top of Savannah, clinging to her body like a leach with her arms, and seemed to be taking respite whilst trying to maintain this position between Savannah’s thighs. The respite unfortunately for Vargas continued to be short lived though as Marshall always managed to wrestle her off and escape, returning the fight to the upright stance, and for Mirela Vargas this was utterly unsubstainable. Savannah just kept turning up the heat and power to degrees that Mirela could not live with (I doubt many could!), and before the end of round number 1, the referee finally did the merciless thing and waved the fight off as Savannah Marshall was putting a really fierce and powerful barrage of punches on Mirela, who looked helpless, defenceless under such an onslaught and on the verge of being out in her feet.
Clarissa Shields respectfully applauded her boxing rival from her ringside seat, and possibly they may face off in MMA one day. On the evidence of Savannah’s very impressive and immensely powerful performance, maybe she has carried her particular boxing strengths and blended them with her newly honed MMA skills, better than Clarissa was able to?
Then again, Mirela is perhaps not as effective a grappler, and lacks the sheer physical strength and toughness of Shield’s conquer Abigail Montes, whose floor tactics against Shields, Cargas was unable to replicate against Marshall.
tougher tests likely await Savannah if she is to continue her MMA adventure/career, but I for one would love to see the two boxing rivals square off in the hexagon all the same, and although I love watching Savannah in the boxing ring, I will look forward to watching her fight in the cage just as much.
As a footnote, I am a long standing boxing fan, but both Clarissa Shields and Savannah Marshall have greatly increased my interest in MMA too.
On their feet, Savannah quickly proved her punching speed, technique, variety and power was greatly overmatching that of Vargas, but Mirela showed a good chin (considering she was taking barrages of punches sporadically from the opening bell), toughness and the wherewithal to take Marshall to the ground. Once on the mat, Mirela seemed more at home, but Savannah immediately showed that she had learning fast in the discipline of mat wrestling and managed to use her grabbing skills and physical strength to get Vargas off of her.
Once back on their feet, Savannah would dominate and tee off on Mirela with incredibly heavy punches, and she was in her element when fighting in a boxing like stance. Too be fair to Vargas, she would rush Marshall, grapple her legs and take her down to the floor once again. In my mind, Mirela wasn’t really doing anything once she had taken the fight back to the mat, and seemed to be content whilst laying on top of Savannah, clinging to her body like a leach with her arms, and seemed to be taking respite whilst trying to maintain this position between Savannah’s thighs. The respite unfortunately for Vargas continued to be short lived though as Marshall always managed to wrestle her off and escape, returning the fight to the upright stance, and for Mirela Vargas this was utterly unsubstainable. Savannah just kept turning up the heat and power to degrees that Mirela could not live with (I doubt many could!), and before the end of round number 1, the referee finally did the merciless thing and waved the fight off as Savannah Marshall was putting a really fierce and powerful barrage of punches on Mirela, who looked helpless, defenceless under such an onslaught and on the verge of being out in her feet.
Clarissa Shields respectfully applauded her boxing rival from her ringside seat, and possibly they may face off in MMA one day. On the evidence of Savannah’s very impressive and immensely powerful performance, maybe she has carried her particular boxing strengths and blended them with her newly honed MMA skills, better than Clarissa was able to?
Then again, Mirela is perhaps not as effective a grappler, and lacks the sheer physical strength and toughness of Shield’s conquer Abigail Montes, whose floor tactics against Shields, Cargas was unable to replicate against Marshall.
tougher tests likely await Savannah if she is to continue her MMA adventure/career, but I for one would love to see the two boxing rivals square off in the hexagon all the same, and although I love watching Savannah in the boxing ring, I will look forward to watching her fight in the cage just as much.
As a footnote, I am a long standing boxing fan, but both Clarissa Shields and Savannah Marshall have greatly increased my interest in MMA too.