UFC London: Molly McCann Says “It’s My Time. This Is Where It Begins”

London – Every roster has a handful of fighters who continue to grind and fight to get to the top spot in their division. For some a moment happens in a fight that sky rockets them to stardom and makes it hard to deny them a path to the top.

For UFC flyweight Molly McCann that moment came when she set up and executed a flawless and devastating spinning elbow that took Luana Carolina out before she even hit the canvas. The UFC London crowd erupted and McCann jumped out of the cage to celebrate and share some words with UFC president Dana White on Saturday night.

“I’ve done the bit. I absolutely smashed it. Done what all my coaches have said. Everything I’ve done for a lifetime. I’m not going to break down the normal Meatball. It’s where I’m supposed to be, the performance I’m supposed to have. Me and Paddy Pimblett are going to change the game with the second go at the British invasion after we had Brad Pickett, after we had Michael Bisping. It’s my time,” McCann told reporters at her post-fight scrum.

McCann came into UFC London with a different mindset of self-belief. She spoke on what she and her coach talk about leading up to fights.

“Mike Tyson once said ‘Self-belief will supersede the genius if applied correctly’. Me and my coach have run through Mike Tyson analogies and quotes all day and all yesterday. It’s just something that as a fighter we’re out to fight the bigger people all the f*cking time. I have to take that onboard with me. I’ve had to overcome a lot in here (points to her head). I think that has f*cked off now and now here I am,” McCann said.

The confidence McCann showed in the fight was not only apparent to the fans, but the broadcast booth noticed it and mentioned it repeatedly during the fight.

“I’m home. I’m not in America, I’m not in fight island. Not running off anyone else’s clock. I’m going to be deadline honest it’s every day I doubt myself in training because I train with the best. Constantly training with the best. It wasn’t until this last week and this week where that tandem was just there. It was just there. I was hitting the pad tonight and I was going ‘F*cking hell! It’s not me!’ Imagine how many parties I’m going to go into now and you’re literally just going to walk and they’re just going to put that on replay,” McCann said while imitating the elbow she landed on Carolina.

The next step for Meatball is some rest and recovery, but not a break from the gym.

“Not to go missing. To get back in the gym Wednesday. Give my family and friends my girlfriend the time they deserve. Pay my respects to all my training partners and go for a nice scoff,” McCann laughed.

“This is where it begins. You watch me out of and raise my level from the last fight. I told you I added extra rounds with my boxing coach. Two extra sessions a week on a 15-session week I added an extra two sessions. So you add that up and already absolutely monotonous, horrible fight camp anyway. I’m going to keep on learning, keep on striving. In the time off from the cage I’ll focus on my boxing, I’ll focus on my jiu jitsu. It’s evident to see. I can either go out wrestling when I want to,” McCann said.

McCann did not give a name of an opponent she prefers for her next fight and she gave a reason why.

“I’m not bothered for that. I respect every single one of those in this division this is a stacked division and every single person who trains wants to win the title. And all of those, apart from Shevchenko, it’s a 1% difference between all of us. That’s how much I respect every one of you girls, I respect you all. Once we get in there then it’s my house. It’s my house.”

Watch the full UFC London post-fight press scrum with Molly McCann above. More coverage from the event can be found below.