SUMMARY
- Molly McCann opened up about considering retirement after her consecutive losses at flyweight.
- McCann moved to strawweight and feels at home.
UFC fighter Molly McCann opened up about her thoughts on retirement after facing consecutive losses. McCann suffered a first-round submission loss against Erin Blanchfield at UFC 281 in November 2022. In her next fight, she suffered the same fate – a minute quicker – against Julija Stoliarenko at UFC London in July 2023.
The Liverpool-born fighter thought she was “done” after facing defeat in her home country in the co-main event. “You can’t co-main in your home country and be embarrassed in that way and think ‘I’m the best in the world’ because I wasn’t,” McCann told BBC Sport.
Julija Stoliarenko 🇱🇹 beautiful arm bar finish
July 22 2023 UFC in #London against Molly McCann 🏴 #vegas85 #UFC #UFCVegas85
pic.twitter.com/flEqieLdjE— underdog para siempre (@Perrito06046799) February 3, 2024
“What we do is so time-consuming, mentally draining, the fans have so much of a say on your life. I was like ‘I don’t know how I’m going to get out of this one’, because the world ridiculed me like I was the scum of the earth to every man and his dog.”
However, her coach Paul Rimmer continued to believe in her abilities. He told her, “Listen, this is what you’re doing. I promise I’d tell you if I thought you were going to get hurt or you can’t challenge for things. But Molly, the girls are too big here, you need to drop down.”
McCann, a former Cage Warriors Women’s Flyweight Championship, has never fought in a lower division than flyweight. She is set to achieve a first on February 3, 2024, at UFC Vegas 85.
Molly McCann makes a move to strawweight at UFC Vegas 85
McCann has been at the UFC for just less than six years. She has fought 11 bouts at the promotion winning six of them. Although she was a flyweight champion in both of her previous promotions, she never fought for the title at UFC. However, she believes strawweight is her true weight class.
“I’ve got a new sense of calm, reserve and contentment at this weight. I’m at peace with it,” said McCann.
“It’s a harsh reality I’ve spent my whole career at the wrong weight, but maybe my skillset wasn’t ready for this weight class until now.
“I’m in the shape of my life, and if you can’t beat them you’ve got to join them. I can’t beat the bigger girls so I’ve got to use their tact.
Molly McCann makes weight for her UFC strawweight debut at 116.0 lbs ⚖️
Go get this @MeatballMolly 💪#UFCVegas85 | Saturday, 10PM | TNT Sports & discovery+ pic.twitter.com/tNcOgc38bb
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) February 2, 2024
“And we’ve done it correctly. I’m not killing myself to make the weight because I’ve been so disciplined. We’ve dropped a weight category but I’m still hitting the same numbers on my lifting as I was at 125lb. It’s a bit of a rebirth.”
McCann is scheduled to face Diana Belbiţă on February 3, 2024, at UFC Vegas 85 or UFC Fight Night 235. This will be McCann and Belbiţă’s second meeting after the Englishwoman scored a victory over her Canadian counterpart in October 2019.
McCann promised Ryan Curtis she would score a victory at UFC Vegas 85
Irish MMA fighter Ryan Curtis suffered brutal injuries during training a few weeks ago. He suffered a broken back, a broken neck, and a dislocated spine. His injuries are the most severe than can happen to a spinal cord. Curtis is a close friend of McCann and she has found it extremely difficult to not be with him at this time.
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“Times have been really tough this camp, the last couple of weeks. I really had to put it on the backburner this week because you know what [the] fighting family is like – you’re closer than blood and he’s one of ours.”
She promised him a win. “It’s really tough but I just promised him the win. I said to him ‘you might not make it into the UFC, but I’m going to walk out to your tune and I’m going to give you my gloves and my fight kit’,” said Molly McCann.
The English fighter revealed that Curtis would have an iPad at his disposal to watch the fight. She will give it her all to dedicate a win to him.