PFL notes: Undisputed super middleweight boxing champion Savannah Marshall to make PFL debut in June

The Professional Fighters League signed two-time Olympic gold medalist and world champion boxer Claressa Shields to an MMA contract in 2020, and Shields has now fought three times for the promotion.

If things go as they seem, she may eventually meet her greatest rival in boxing in the PFL's smart cage. On Tuesday, the PFL announced that undisputed super middleweight boxing world champion Savannah Marshall will make her debut in the PFL on June 8 in Newcastle, England.

Marshall, whose boxing title is at 168 pounds, will fight at lightweight, or 155 pounds, in MMA. She will fight in the main event that night against an opponent to be named.

Marshall is 13-1 as a boxer in the pros, with her only losses coming via decision to Shields on Oct. 15, 2022. In her next fight, she defeated Franchon Crews Dezurn to win the undisputed super middleweight championship. Marshall, who lost the WBO middleweight title in her bout with Shields, defeated Shields in 2012 in the amateurs. That remains Shields' only defeat.

Shields is regarded as the greatest pound-for-pound female boxer in the world. She's held world titles at 154, 160 and 168 pounds. In MMA, she's 2-1 in the PFL, with wins over Brittney Elkin and Kasey DeSantis sandwiched around a split decision loss to Abigail Montes.

It seems inevitable that as Marshall gains MMA experience the PFL will move her toward a fight with Shields.

PFL to open regular season on Thursday in San Antonio

The PFL will open its 2024 regular season on Thursday at the Boeing Center in San Antonio, with heavyweights and women's flyweights bouts scheduled. The main event is a heavyweight bout between 2022 PFL champion Ante Delija and former Bellator interim heavyweight champion Valentin Moldavsky.

In the co-main event, heavyweights Denis Goltsov and Linton Vassell will meet. Liz Carmouche, the Bellator flyweight champion and former UFC women's bantamweight title challenger, will meet Juliana Velasquez in a women's flyweight bout.

The Delija-Moldavsky bout is essentially a pick 'em at DraftKings sports book. Delija is -115 and Moldavsky is -105. Goltsov is a -148 favorite over Vassell, who is +124. And Carmouche is -238 over Velasquez, who is +195.

PFL to host event in Las Vegas on April 12 during week of UFC 300

UFC 300 is probably the most loaded card the UFC has ever put on, and features 11 current or former world champions. It will be held April 13 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where a sell-out crowd of close to 20,000 is expected.

The PFL put a show in Las Vegas on April 12 in an apparent attempt to take advantage of all of the MMA fans who will descend upon Sin City for the UFC card the next night. Former UFC fighters Phil Davis and Impa Kasanganay will headline the PFL regular season card that night in separate bouts.

In the main event, Davis will face Rob Wilkinson at the Virgin Hotel. In the co-main, Kasanganay, the 2023 PFL light heavyweight champion, will meet Alex Polizzi. Wilkinson is another former UFC fighter who faced Israel Adesanya in Adesanya's UFC debut.

It's an interesting choice for the PFL to go to Las Vegas the week of a UFC pay-per-view. On the one hand, it's a way to sell tickets given that Las Vegas will be filled with MMA fans who are looking for something to do, and so PFL may be able to sell a lot of tickets, as a result.

But it's just as possible the show will get overlooked since so many big names are fighting on the UFC card, which includes two championship fights and a BMF title fight.

Francis Ngannou a huge favorite over Renan Ferreira

Former UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou, who hasn't competed in MMA since defeating Ciryl Gane on Jan. 22, 2022, is expected to face Renan Ferreira, the 2023 PFL heavyweight champion, if he ever returns to MMA. Ngannou has boxed twice since last competing in MMA.

On Oct. 28 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Ngannou boxed WBC/lineal heavyweight champion Tyson Fury. He dropped a split decision, though he knocked Fury down in the third. But on March 8 in Riyadh, he was knocked out by former unified heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in the second round.

Ngannou's next fight is not set, and there is a chance he'll compete in boxing again. But if he does fight MMA, he'll meet Fereira. DraftKings has made Ngannou a -535 favorite to defeat Ferreira, who knocked out Bellator heavyweight champion Ryan Bader in just 21 seconds on Feb. 24 in Riyadh, in the PFL versus Bellator champions event. It was the PFL's only win on that show.