Molly McCann

Molly McCann, born on May 4, 1990, in Liverpool, England, began her combat sports journey with karate, kickboxing, and Thai boxing, before moving to boxing around age 12. She later played football for Liverpool F.C. Women, a career cut short by an ankle injury. McCann earned a degree in sports development and physical education from Liverpool John Moores University. She entered mixed martial arts (MMA) in 2013 and quickly made a name for herself on the regional circuit, earning the nickname “Meatball Molly” while working at Subway. Her early MMA career saw her win the Shock N’ Awe Flyweight Championship and successfully defend it once, followed by securing the Cage Warriors Fighting Championship Women’s Flyweight Championship in 2018 against Bryony Tyrell, culminating in a 7-1 record before joining the UFC.

McCann joined the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in May 2018. Despite an initial loss, she quickly gained traction, securing unanimous decision victories against Priscila Cachoeira (2019), Ariane Lipski (2019), and Diana Belbiță (2019). These performances led to a new four-fight contract with the UFC. Her career in the UFC was marked by a series of wins and losses, often earning post-fight bonuses for her exciting style. Notable achievements include “Fight of the Night” against Ji Yeon Kim (2021) and three “Performance of the Night” awards for knockouts against Luana Carolina (2022) and Hannah Goldy (2022), and an armbar submission against Diana Belbiță (2024), making her the fighter with the most post-fight bonuses in the UFC Women’s Flyweight division history. She also debuted in professional grappling at Polaris 26 in November 2023, securing a win by submission.

In March 2025, McCann announced her retirement from mixed martial arts after a final fight at UFC Fight Night against Alexia Thainara. Following her MMA retirement, she signed with Matchroom Boxing in July 2025, embarking on a professional boxing career. Her professional boxing debut in September 2025 at Windsor Park in Belfast resulted in a TKO victory over Kate Radomska, demonstrating her goal to achieve a world title in boxing. Her transition to boxing from MMA reflects a strategic career move, driven by a long-held ambition to become a boxing world champion, a goal she intends to pursue within eight professional fights. She also published a book, “Be True To You: A story about coming out,” in June 2021, sharing personal aspects of her life.