SAVANNAH MARSHALL has become the latest women’s boxing star to make a switch to MMA.

The current undisputed super-middleweight world champion has signed with the Professional Fighters League.

She said: “I am thrilled to begin my journey in MMA with The Professional Fighters League.

“I am proud to join the most talented female combat sports athletes in the world and continue to raise the profile of women in sports through PFLW.”

The PFL is a seasonal format, consisting of qualifying and knockout stages.

Stars in each weight have two regular season bouts where points are earned per method of victory.

From there, the top four progress into the win-or-go-home semis and final stages where a title belt and $1million cheque is at stake.

Marshall, 32, last won in July beating Franchon Crews-Dezurn, 36, to win all four 168lb titles.

And she is expected to make her MMA debut in 2024 after becoming the most recent women’s boxer to make the cross over.

The PFL have added boxing legend Amanda Serrano, 34, to their roster while Claressa Shields, 28, was already signed.

Shields, 1-1 in MMA, beat Marshall in their middleweight super-fight last September.

And they could renew their rivalry in the cage as Shields responded to the news: “She wanna be like me so bad. Congrats.”

Savannah Marshall becomes latest women’s boxer to make MMA switch after signing with PFL to eye Claressa Shields rematch | The Sun

ANTHONY JOSHUA’s long-awaited showdown with Deontay Wilder is set to be finalised in the next “three weeks”.

Former two-time heavyweight champion Joshua began targeting a long-overdue grudge match with The Bronze Bomber before kicking off his career rebuild with a scrappy win over Jermaine Franklin in April.

Talks over the lucrative Saudi showdown heated up before the Watford warrior’s brutal seventh-round KO of Robert Helenius earlier this month and have since continued.

And AJ promoter Eddie Hearn expects them to come to a head imminently, telling Fight Hub TV when asked for a timeline: “Two or three weeks.”

Matchroom Boxing chief Hearn added: “I’ve been to Saudi Arabia twice to negotiate this fight.

“I’ve had two meetings, three meetings in London.

“I’m not doing it for banter. My instructions from Anthony Joshua [are] ‘I want to fight Deontay Wilder.’

“The only way this fight doesn’t happen is if Saudi doesn’t deliver the fight.

“[Wilder manager] Shelly Finkel, Wilder, as far as I’m hearing from them directly, they are in. We are in.

“We just need to sign a contract and go through the procedures to get that done.”

Joshua and Wilder, 33 and 37 respectively, were on a collision course in 2018 when they held all the heavyweight titles but the mouthwatering fight didn’t come to fruition.

Their long-overdue clash is currently being targeted for January, although Hearn admits AJ could be back in the ring in December should the fight fall through.

Hearn said: “If it doesn’t happen, I think he’ll (Joshua) fight in December.

“But I’m not spinning that fight. All of our efforts have been for that fight.

“Honestly I wouldn’t waste my time flying all around the world trying to pretend that that’s the fight we want.

“That is the fight we want.

“It’s a massive fight, massive money, and that is what I have been instructed to deliver for AJ.”

He added: “We are positive. Like I said, we are in. If it can be delivered, we are in.”

Anthony Joshua vs Deontay Wilder to be finalised in next ‘three weeks’ as Eddie Hearn gives update on Saudi showdown | The Sun

CONOR BENN has had the lifting of his provisional ban appealed against by Ukad and the BBBofC.

The 26-year-old welterweight is still fighting to prove his innocence, after two failed tests in the build-up to his cancelled October clash with Chris Eubank Jr.

Last month, following a video-call hearing with the National Anti-Doping Panel, a provisional suspension on the son of British ring legend Nigel was lifted, freeing him to fight again.

However Ukad – who police and punish doping in British boxing – are unhappy with the decision and have pushed back just within their 21-day window of opportunity.

A statement read: “UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) can today confirm that it has filed an appeal in respect of a decision handed down by the independent National Anti-Doping Panel regarding anti-doping proceedings brought by UKAD against Mr Conor Benn.

“As confirmed previously in UKAD’s statement on 28 July 2023, Mr Benn is no longer subject to a provisional suspension.

“The appeal process will now be followed in accordance with the UK Anti-Doping Rules.

“UKAD issues this statement in accordance with Article 14.3.4 of the World Anti-Doping Code and is not able to make any further public disclosures at this time.”

Benn has successfully applied for an American licence, however his pulling power is in the UK where promoter Eddie Hearn is desperate for him to resume his career.

The appeals process could take up to two months and sideline Benn – who last boxed in April 2022 – for close to two years.

Benn’s last action came when he beat Chris van Heerden in Manchester.

The ban he is battling against – for two findings of the female fertility drug clomiphene – is also for two years.

Benn’s case preceded Dillian Whyte’s bout with Anthony Joshua getting cancelled after he returned adverse findings in his Vada tests in the build-up to their August 12 rematch.

Conor Benn’s boxing return after failed drugs test BLOCKED as doping chiefs appeal against decision to end suspension | The Sun

ANTHONY JOSHUA slammed fans who booed him during his victory over Robert Helenius.

The Brit won via a seventh round knockout despite a laboured performance.

AJ put in a cautious display and many of his supporters turned on him from round three as they booed and whistled at the O2 Arena.

Joshua was quizzed on reaction from fans as he went toe-to-toe with a reporter in a post-bout press conference.

He was first asked if the crowd’s reaction had impacted his performance.

Joshua replied: “Not necessarily, I think they don’t understand it is competitive boxing.

“We are trying to shut each other’s advances down.

“I was watching certain fights tonight and they didn’t look as exciting as I thought they would.

“But it’s not that they don’t look exciting, it’s a game of chess, when you’re playing it is a thinking man’s sport.

“From the outside chess is a boring game, but everything I try to do they shut down.

“Why am I going to go in there and trade from round one? Break him down.”

Joshua was then asked how it felt to be booed by fans, to which he responded: “Were they booing me or Helenius?

“That is the question, who were they booing?”

The reporter then suggested that fans wanted a quicker knockout.

AJ hit back, saying with a shrug: “Have any of them ever boxed before?”

He was also quizzed on if he was happy with his display, responding: “That is for my coach [Derrick James], I don’t really rate my performances, whatever the coach thinks.

“We can go back to the drawing board and I know there is a lot of things we can improve on.

“I felt better than I did in April [versus Jermaine Franklin] and that is the main thing.”

Joshua could next face Deontay Wilder in January if a deal can be sealed with the bout set to take place in Saudi Arabia.

‘Have they ever boxed before?’ Anthony Joshua slams fans who booed him during KO win over Robert Helenius | The Sun

ANTHONY JOSHUA would “hate” Eddie Hearn if the promoter revealed the real reasons he underperformed in his loss against Andy Ruiz Jr.

AJ, who returns to the ring on Saturday aiming to knock out Robert Helenius, suffered the first defeat of his career when he came up against 25/1 underdog Andy Ruiz Jr in New York back in 2019.

The British star was left battered and bruised after he was knocked to the canvas four times by the hard-hitting Mexican before he went on to beat him in the rematch.

Joshua was then outpointed by Oleksandr Usyk in 2021 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium before he suffered a repeat in August.

But it was that defeat to Ruiz JR that is surrounded in mystery as AJ was dropped four times with many wondering what happened to the star pre and post fight amid rumours suggesting the heavyweight was concussed. 

Joshua was forced to deny being dropped in sparring and even refute claims he had a panic attack before the headliner on his US debut in New York.

But Hearn previously admitted that Joshua had his reasons for coming into the fight sluggish and off his game but insisted that those excuses will not be aired.

Hearn told Sky Sports: “It’s nothing to do with sparring or panic attacks but there are reasons that he wasn’t firing on all cylinders. He will never tell you, and he would hate for me to tell you.

“He doesn’t want excuses like we’ve seen with Deontay Wilder.

“When I look back now, knowing what was wrong, I can look at his face and say: ‘You knew you weren’t 100 per cent, didn’t you?’.

“But all week he was fine, smiling. At no point did anyone say, ‘He doesn’t seem himself’. Looking back now there is something in his eyes that says, ‘I’m not best prepared’.”

Joshua stayed silent after his setback, but came out triumphant six months later as he enacted revenge on Ruiz in Saudi Arabia to reclaim the WBA, IBF and WBO titles.

But after that career defining win, he had hinted that he suffered a health problem before the stunning loss.

Joshua told BBC Sport: “I had some issue with my health which I was going through for a long time.

“I didn’t know what was wrong with me. I felt so tired and drained and thought it must be down to training.

“In the changing room before the fight I got a bucket of ice and was putting my head in it thinking ‘why do I feel so tired?’

“The responsibilities of being world champion are difficult. All that stuff, feeling so tired, dealing with obligations.

“Now I have energy, I haven’t missed a session.”

Joshua admitted to requiring an operation as well as treating the mystery ailment that hasn’t affected him since.

He added: “After my check-ups it showed what the problem was and this is what you have to get sorted.

“Even in this camp I had an operation done but as I’d started training in June I had no issues.”

Eddie Hearn reveals Anthony Joshua would ‘hate’ him if he exposed the REAL reasons why he lost to Andy Ruiz Jr – The Sun | The Sun