London — “I feel it’s a bit of a homecoming for British MMA,” Molly McCann said of the upcoming UFC London card during Wednesday’s media day for the event.
It’s certainly a big show, with a number of notable British fighters. If media turnout is any barometer, interest in the show is sky high. For McCann (11-4), however, it’s just nice to have the perks of fighting at home.
That includes no long trip to a foreign city, no eating on a plane, in front of passengers who don’t need to watch their weight. No water loading while flying either. “We had a nice trip down in the car. I just feel like it’s the Molly and Paddy show again.”
McCann and Paddy Pimblett shared a home in Cage Warriors, a promotion pivotal in launching their careers, along with the careers of fighters like Conor McGregor, Michael Bisping, and Dan Hardy. Both fighters also hail from Liverpool, and the bond goes deeper than just sharing a promotion or two.
After losing her UFC debut, “I had to ask [Pimblett] how to f*cking deal with this. I learned some valuable lessons from him. Even the fame and everything. You’ll see me and him, we don’t like to let people down. Team, fans, anyone who wants a picture, anyone who wants our time. Learning how to do all that kind of thing, he done it first, then obviously he unraveled a little bit, and I learned from him again, and then he overcome that.”
Calling Pimblett the “captain of our ship” and herself “the big sister, McCann later added “We learned from each other and pushed each other through the tough times. And we’re very, very fortunate that on our way, we shared a lot together.”
UFC London this Saturday will see Scousers, as McCann herself labelled them, share a card once again. “April 1, 2018 I believe was the last time I opened and he headlined. It’s not quite the same, he’s not headlining, but like I said, fans say I’m the people’s co-main and he’s the people’s main event.”
As for Pimblett getting into an altercation with Ilia Topuria and his team earlier this week, McCann had to laugh. “Honest to god, he goes away for two minutes, and look what happens: half of Georgia trying to move in.”
Watch the full UFC London media day scrum with Molly McCann above. More coverage from the event can be found below. McCann faces Luana Carolina at the Fight Night card this Saturday, March 19, 2022 at the O2 Arena in London, England.