Savannah Marshall: Don’t write boxer off in MMA, says mixed martial artist Dakota Ditcheva

Savannah Marshall can surprise in mixed martial arts, says PFL fighter Dakota Ditcheva.

Marshall, an elite boxer who became the undisputed super-middleweight champion earlier this year, signed with PFL to compete in MMA alongside her boxing career.

She has trained alongside Ditcheva as she prepares to make the transition.

“She’s a heavy hitter, Savannah, and as well she’s never done any kind of kicking or anything before and her technique again was perfect,” Ditcheva told Sky Sports.

“She’s picking everything up really quickly. Her style has got a lot of movement so I think she’ll do quite well with it. She’s game as well. She’s more than happy to get in there and have a fight.

“So I’m excited to see how she’s been doing on her groundwork and hopefully she’s enjoying it still.”

Ditcheva added: “Definitely don’t write her off. Her hands are good enough to carry her through a fight anyway. She can work the defence. It’s all tactical. She’s got the boxing there already. Every fight is started standing up so that’s already good for her.

“If she can get her defence working for defending some takedowns, she can stay up and she can knock people out like she does in boxing.

“Definitely don’t write her off. She can kick as well. You’d be surprised.”

Ditcheva fights for PFL’s European championship in Dublin on Friday. She views it as a “breakthrough moment”.

“I always want another highlight reel for sure,” she said. “I’m going to be in there trying to pull something out the bag.

“It’s important for me to keep my name in the spotlight by proving myself in the cage and getting fast knockouts, exciting knockouts.

“Then it’s going on to the next stage and getting the next level.”

PFL has also announced the acquisition of Bellator, another MMA promoter. Ditcheva believes that merger will create further opportunities.

“It’s amazing, especially if they’re going to do champion versus champion. It’s perfect because normally everyone’s in their own organisations,” she said.

“The Bellator thing has come at the perfect time because I’m going to breakthrough on the global scene and then there’s all these girls coming over from Bellator into PFL.”

She added: “They’ve signed Amanda Serrano, she’s my weight class, so you never know if that’ll happen one day…”