England’s Molly McCann is headed to New York City.
On Thursday, UFC officials announced that McCann (13-4) will face Erin Blanchfield (9-1) at UFC 281 on November 12, 2022 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY. The bout will be McCann’s third of 2022, after becoming one of the breakout stars on two cards in London.
Meatball does MSG! 🤩
🔵 @MeatballMolly gets her first Top 15 assignment against @Blanchfield_MMA! #UFC281 pic.twitter.com/qJoSlXG614
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 11, 2022
Both of her previous fights this year saw McCann score high-light reel knockouts, both involving perfectly timed spinning back elbows. The first, a knockout of Luana Carolina, was immediately called the best women’s knockout of all time. The second saw Hannah Goldy rocked with the elbow then finished off with strikes.
Both fights earned McCann a Performance of the Night bonus; overall, she has won three straight fights, with a post-fight bonus earned in each.
Blanchfield, a former Invicta FC standout, has won all three of her UFC contests to date. Most recently, she earned a submission victory against JJ Aldrich in June. Prior to that, Blanchfield picked up a unanimous decision win over fellow flyweight prospect Miranda Maverick.
Only one other fight has been announced for November’s UFC 281: the fight that is expected to headline the event. That will see middleweight champion Israel Adesanya taking on old kickboxing rival Alex Pereira.
With Molly McCann added to the UFC 281 card, however, can Paddy Pimblett be far behind?
