20 February 2024 , 11:31
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Claressa Shields has warned Savannah Marshall she will never be able to beat her amid talks of their PFL rematch.
Three-weight undisputed boxing world champion Shields returns to MMA for the first time in over two years when she fights Kelsey DeSantis this Saturday at the PFL vs Bellator World Championship event in Saudi Arabia. Shields is focused on becoming a world champion in the promotion but a rematch against Marshall is also on the cards following their boxing fight in October 2022.
Shields, who is also a two-time Olympic gold medalist, handed Marshall her first and only defeat on the night as she won a hard-fought decision in London. Marshall signed with PFL last August in the hopes of avenging her loss to Shields, but the 'Gwoat' has warned Marshall that she can't hang with her in any discipline.
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“I don’t know what Savannah Marshall needs but I know that she can’t beat me in nothing, that’s what I know," Shields told Mirror Fighting . The 28-year-old only fought once last year as she defended her undisputed middleweight world titles in a one-sided win against Maricela Cornejo. Shields outlined her three-year plan to become a PFL world champion whilst still keeping hold of her boxing world titles.
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“My biggest aspiration for MMA is to be a PFL world champion. That’s all I really want from MMA, I want to do it at the same time as I’m boxing. Within the next two or three years, I would like to be fighting for the world championship against whoever the PFL world champion is at that time," she added.
“Right now we just looked at Larissa Pacheco at someone that we want to fight. We looked at Kayla [Harrison] but now she’s with the UFC. That’s what we are working towards, I know it’s a long journey but we are going to take baby steps to get there. I would love to do this undefeated and untouched, but I know I’m going to be matched tough as all these girls know more MMA than me.”
Marshall is yet to make her PFL debut but it's expected she will be in attendance for Shields' fight against DeSantis. Shields is also open to fighting women's MMA pioneer Cris Cyborg, but admitted it would have to take place in boxing because the Brazilian is too experienced for her in the cage.