5 Defining Moments: Molly McCann

The Ultimate Fighting Championship will have Molly McCann’s name in lights—at least partially.

“Meatball” draws co-main event billing when she confronts former Invicta Fighting Championships titleholder Julija Stoliarenko under the UFC Fight Night 224 marquee this Saturday at the O2 Arena in London. McCann has won three of her past four bouts. The 33-year-old last appeared at UFC 281, where she submitted to a first-round kimura from the fast-rising Erin Blanchfield on Nov. 12.

As McCann makes final preparations for her looming showdown with Stoliarenko at 125 pounds, a look at five of the many moments that have come to define her:

1. A Crown for a Queen

McCann captured the vacant Cage Warriors Fighting Championship women’s flyweight title when she buried Bryony Tyrell with punches in the second round of their CW 90 main event on Feb. 24, 2018 at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Tyrell bowed out 1:32 into Round 2. Clearly the more physically stout of the two combatants, McCann pressured with punches and kicks from the start, consistently moving her counterpart toward the fence and onto her back foot. Return fire from Tyrell was slow and telegraphed. Soon, McCann started to exploit the openings with power punches from both hands. Tyrell’s clinches and takedown attempts went nowhere inside the first five minutes, setting the stage for what was to come. McCann cracked her with a punishing straight left early in Round 2 and swarmed with punches, along the fence and in the center of the cage. Tyrell turned away from contact twice, prompting referee Marc Goddard to intervene on her behalf.

2. Another Level

American Top Team prospect Gillian Robertson put McCann to sleep with a rear-naked choke in the second round of their UFC Fight Night 130 women’s flyweight prelim on May 27, 2018 at Echo Arena in Liverpool, England. Robertson closed the deal 2:05 into Round 2. McCann enjoyed some success in the standup exchanges but looked lost once the action spilled onto the mat. Robertson took down and mounted the promotional newcomer in the first round, setting the tone for what was to come. She secured another takedown early in the second, climbed to mount and transitioned to the back. Robertson then snaked her arm in place, tightened her squeeze and waited for the Liverpool native to lose consciousness. The loss snapped a six-fight winning streak for McCann.

3. Violence Begats Violence

McCann outstruck former KSW champion Ariane Lipski to a unanimous decision as part of the UFC Fight Night 154 undercard on June 22, 2019 at Bon Secours Wellness Arena in Greenville, South Carolina. All three cageside judges struck 30-27 scorecards for “Meatball.” McCann leaned on combination-heavy boxing across the 15-minute encounter, all while mixing in a few spinning backfists and head kicks. She also caught Lipski off-guard with late takedowns in the first and second rounds, consolidating those efforts with positional pressure and ground-and-pound. By the time the proverbial dust settled, McCann had outlanded the “Queen of Violence” by a 108-68 margin in significant strikes.

4. Hitting a Ceiling

Sharp muay Thai skills, timely takedowns and stellar topside grappling spurred Astra Fight Team’s Taila Santos to a unanimous decision over McCann in a UFC on ESPN 13 women’s flyweight feature on July 15, 2020 at the Flash Forum in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Santos swept the scorecards with 30-27 marks from all three judges. McCann enjoyed some early success with chopping right hands—she opened a small cut near the Brazilian’s left eye—and darting punches. However, Santos closed the distance and hammered her with knees to the body and head from the Thai clinch, causing visible damage and altering the direction of the fight. The second and third rounds were blowouts, as Santos struck for takedowns, climbed to full mount on multiple occasions and threatened with submissions, including a brabo choke in the middle stanza. Once the Dana White’s Contender Series alum hit her stride, McCann was practically powerless.

5. Lights Out

McCann wrecked DWCS graduate Luana Carolina with a spinning back elbow in the third round of their UFC Fight Night 204 women’s flyweight showcase on March 19, 2022 at the O2 Arena in London. Carolina checked out 1:52 into Round 3, the unwitting victim in one of the year’s most spectacular knockouts. McCann made her intentions clear from the outset, as she wobbled the Brazilian with overhand rights on multiple occasions in the first round. She calmed down in the second, shifted gears with takedowns and lengthened her lead. Carolina upped her activity in Round 3 but walked into a trap in the center of the cage. McCann wheeled around with the elbow at close range, the impact instantly separating the Capital da Luta academy rep from her senses. Carolina did not fight again for nearly a year.