- Molly McCann takes on skilled newcomer Alexia Thainara at UFC London
- ‘Meatball’ has golden memories of fighting in the capital and needs a win
- She has found a new level of calm and maturity so showcase in the octagon
Molly McCann has vowed to showcase a refined, mature performance against short-notice opponent Alexia Thainara, who she says has ‘flown across the world to take her head off.’
With the final sparring session of Meatball’s camp in the bag, she received the phone call every fighter dreads, with her manager Graham Boyland breaking the news her scheduled opponent had pulled out.
But Thainara, a dangerous prospect making her UFC debut accepted the call on nine days notice to jump into enemy territory in front of 18,000 fans in London this Saturday night.
‘Thursday I finished my last spar, saw Graham’s waving emoji pop up on my phone, I said “do not tell me my opponent has pulled out”‘, she revealed.
But the transition in preparation so late in the day hasn’t caused too much stress to McCann, 34, who is approaching this stage of her career in a more calculated manner.
‘You prepare for a certain face but the style isn’t too different,’ she added.
Molly McCann takes centre stage at UFC London again this Saturday night at the O2 Arena
It was a brutal defeat for ‘Meatball’ last time out against talented striker Bruna Brazil
‘Brazilians always bring it so I’m very thankful she took the fight. I spoke to my previous opponent to ask her what their fight was like, there was a lot of mutual respect there.
‘I’m expecting to have someone come for me the whole way. She’s coming to take my head off, she’s come around the world on nine days notice but I know there will be 18,000 behind me.
‘I think she’ll be really dangerous in the first round, you’ll see a more educated Molly McCann in there. I still have a lot of miles in the tank and a lot to accomplish before I’m ready to leave the cage.’
‘Meatball’ has become synonymous with passion and emotion in the cage, soaring highs and crushing lows but insists there is a healthy dose of perspective now and no malice needs to fuel her.
She continued: ‘When I came into the UFC it was all anger, Scousers personified, but it doesn’t always have to be about emotion. I don’t have to hate my opponent now.
‘It’s a safe space here, calm place. My career has had many ups and downs, it’s just about enjoying it now.’
McCann, a huge Everton fan, when asked whether she’d be interested in a future stadium fight at the new 52,000 Bramley Moore Dock stadium, did not seem particularly fussed where the gloves are laced up.
‘I used to live down the road to the new stadium, I’ve not been in it yet, there’s a test event soon so I might go to that. I could fight in a car park in Liverpool and people could watch! I’m not really too bothered.
McCann has suffered defeats in three of her last four and will be desperate to capture the glorious London form of 2022 when she delivered a couple of viral KOs off the back of spinning elbows.
McCann insists she is a more mature fighter now after the ups and downs of her career
With businesses outside the cage, any suggestions that McCann will head off into the sunset soon are premature.
The Liverpool fighter feels the experiences gained across her seven years are there to be squeezed for advantages now.
‘I’m proud of myself sitting here today, not many fight 14 times in the UFC, transcend the sport to people who don’t watch it, manage to find a way to level up when I lose,’ she concluded.
