After her loss to Alexia Thainara at UFC London, Molly McCann, a notable figure in the UFC women’s strawweight division, announced her retirement on Saturday.
Known by her nickname “Meatball,” McCann had come into this fight trying to recover from a recent defeat, having lost three out of her last four bouts. Reflecting on her journey, she shared in a candid post-fight interview with Michael Bisping at the O2 Arena, “I started this sport at 24. I’ve given you all my heart and soul. Tonight’s performance, facing someone who stepped in on just a week’s notice, wasn’t enough. I’m not here just for the paycheck. Both the UFC and I deserve better, and so do all of you.”
Her journey in the octagon began in 2018, with a challenging debut against Gillian Robertson. However, she bounced back with three straight victories. Despite experiencing back-to-back losses for the first time, she managed to regain her form with another trio of consecutive wins. Yet, the past three years have been tough, as she struggled to consistently secure victories.
Throughout her seven-year tenure with the UFC, McCann proved her mettle by earning four performance bonuses, setting a record for the most post-fight bonuses in the UFC Women’s Flyweight division with three.
Ending her career with a record of 14-8, McCann, once a Cage Warriors women’s flyweight champion, bid adieu near her hometown of Liverpool, in London. It was a fitting location to bring her fighting chapter to a close, as she thanked the fans for their support over the years.
