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Mirela Vargas is happy to derail the Savannah Marshall hype train.
Marshall, boxing’s undisputed super middleweight champion, makes her MMA debut against Vargas in the main event of Saturday’s PFL Europe 2 event in Newcastle, England. Marshall currently holds the WBA, WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring titles in boxing with a professional record of 13-1, having lost only once in the ring to Claressa Shields.
Now Marshall makes the jump to the cage to test herself. Vargas is just 1-2 in MMA, however she feels her background still gives her the edge in the grappling department.
“She’s a boxer, but I won’t let her do her thing,” Vargas told MMA Fighting. “My idea is to smash and pressure her a lot. I will force her to use her strength because it’s hard to use your boxing after you have to grapple hard on the ground. It makes a huge difference, and I’m ready for this.”
Vargas started training Muay Thai at a young age, but first competed when she transitioned to jiu-jitsu. After years of grappling competitions, she decided to join a kickboxing class and ultimately started competed, entering several tournaments in Brazil and around Europe.
“I know it’s going to be a hard fight, but it’s going to be a good one,” Vargas said. “I don’t want to leave it to the judges. I want to finish the fight with a knockout or a submission. I don’t want to leave it to somebody else to decide [the winner]. I want a finish. I want to end it.”
The Brazilian lightweight moves up an extra five pounds for a 160-pound catchweight bout with Marshall, then hopes PFL once again stages a lightweight season for 2025 so she can chase her ultimate goal in the sport.
“Many people don’t know, but fighting for PFL was my dream,” Vargas said. “I never dreamed of fighting for Invicta FC or the UFC, I’ve always wanted the PFL. I want to hold that big million-dollar check. That’s my dream, and I was very emotional when news came that I had signed with them, and I’m going to be the main event.”
Watch Marshall’s recent appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani below.
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