After KO of Year contender finish, Molly McCann says a home fight just what was needed

LONDON – Molly McCann could not have picked a more perfect time for her first stoppage win in the UFC.

McCann (12-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was having a stellar go of things in her women’s flyweight bout against Luana Carolina (8-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) on Saturday at UFC Fight Night 204 in London in her home country of England. On her way to a decision win, McCann threw something that left no doubt.

McCann drilled Carolina with a spinning back elbow that connected flush and put Carolina out instantly. After four UFC decision wins, including three in a row in 2019 before a two-fight skid, McCann’s first finish in the promotion will live on her highlight reel in perpetuity – and will rank among the most vicious women’s UFC finishes in history. It’s also an early contender for Knockout of the Year.

McCann said a lot of the credit for what could be her coming-out party in the division is due to fighting in the U.K. for the first time in three years.

“I’m home. I’m not in America. I’m not on Fight Island. I’m not running off anyone else’s clock,” McCann said at her post-fight news conference. “… If I can be deadly honest with you, every day I doubt myself in training because I train with the best – constantly training with the best. … It wasn’t until this last week and this week that the timing was just there. I was hitting the pads and I was going, ‘F*cking hell – is that me?’”

McCann put a shot clock on her press conference because as soon as teammate Paddy Pimblett was set to make his walk, she was intent on leaving to be cageside. McCann and Pimblett, both proud Liverpool natives and residents, have said they plan on being the next generation of British superstars in the sport. Conveniently, their gym is Next Generation MMA in Liverpool.

McCann said her vicious knockout is just the start.

“It’s where I’m supposed to be,” she said. “It’s the performances I’m supposed to have. Me and Paddy Pimblett are going to change the game. We’re the second go at the British invasion after we had Brad Pickett, after we had Michael Bisping. It’s my time.”

McCann said she won’t call out a next opponent, but did single out women’s flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko as the one fighter in the division above the rest of them right now.

As for the rest, McCann thinks the margin of difference in skill between everyone chasing the champ is tight – but when she gets in the cage, she plans on widening the gap.

“I’m not bothered for (calling someone out),” McCann said. “I respect every one of us in this division. This is a stacked division, and every single person who trains wants to win the title. And all of us, apart from Shevchenko, it’s a 1 percent difference between all of us. That’s how much I respect you girls (at flyweight). I respect you all until we get in there. Then it’s my house. It’s my house.”