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UFC London was not kind to Molly McCann
UFC flyweight Molly McCann came into UFC London this past weekend as one of the most popular characters on the card. The Liverpudlian has wowed crowds in the UK over the past few years with gutsy and dynamic performances leading to crushing wins.
However, this weekend McCann was not able to get her bulldog style offence off and was instead, tangled up and then seriously wounded by the dangerous submission fighter Julija Stoliarenko.
Almost as soon as the fight began, Stoliarenko (a Roger Gracie BJJ black belt) ducked under a McCann punch and secured a takedown against the fence. From there she immediately took McCann’s back. And from there she threatened McCann with a rear naked choke, just so the Brit would serve up Stoliarenko’s favourite meal – an arm. After McCann fell for the bait, Stoliarenko transitioned to her trademark armbar. She cranked. McCann tapped. She cranked some more and then the ref stepped in. Then she stepped away leaving McCann looking in clear and obvious pain.
Molly McCann will now leave the flyweight division
After the loss to Stolirenko, McCann took to Instagram to announce her future plans. In that message she stated that, due to her recent losses, she would now be moving down to the strawweight division.
Now that the dusts settled I’d like to thank the UFC staff and all at TNT Sports for the opportunity to Co main at the 02 infront of the best fans in the world.
Molly McCann
If you could only Imagine the sacrifices and work that went into the build up and that fight camp. I can’t quite put into words. However I will try to some it up.
I have always had the toughest road and journey in life, that’s just the Molly McCann way, and I’m okay with that. The highs are the highest and the lows, well I don’t think I have words that do the pain and hurt justice. But dare to dream ay!
If there’s one thing I know, it’s how to always overcome adversity and this is no different. 20 months ago I was sitting in this same position, 2 back to back losses and ready to pack it in. Then a boss run and my world changed forever.
We have one more adjustment to make and I believe that will make all the difference in the world, the smallest in the division makes it tough when the opponents are so much bigger. So for me it’s time to drop down and face the girls who are the same size!
To all the keyboard warriors who’ll give me down the banks and want to tell me about my self go ahead, I’m living my dream EVERY SINGLE DAY, I’m winning in life, the best teams around me, the best promotion in the world. This game has give me everything, and I am beyond blessed.
I’ll be back sooner rather than later, thank you to everyone for their support. In the words of Maya Angelou “You may shoot me with your words,
You may cut me with your eyes,
You may kill me with your hatefulness,
But still, like air, I’ll rise.”
McCann was the victim of awful matchmaking
McCann’s loss to Stoliarenko came eight months after her previous fight, a first round submission loss to Erin Blanchfield.
Those submission losses came after ‘Meatball’ scored three straight wins over Hannah Goldy (TKO), Luana Carolina (KO), and Kim Ji Yeon (unanimous decision and Fight of the Night).
After showing she could put on a thrilling brawl, especially in front of her adoring fans in the UK, the UFC tested her with Blanchfield (one of the deadliest submission artists in the women’s divisions).
Blanchfield proved what many had expected, that McCann’s ability to turn fights into exciting barn-burners and land heavy fight ending shots, does not come with crack submission defence on ground.
Once that knowledge was clearly demonstrated to all, the UFC matchmakers booked McCann for the co-main event of this most recent UFC London. But instead of giving her an opponent she could go toe-to-toe with for three rounds, much to the delight of their rabid UK fanbase, they gave her another fighter whose greatest strength is McCann’s greatest weakness.
When you have a popular fighter with a well-known and crowd pleasing style and you have her in her own backyard, serving her up to someone with the ability to leave her prone and in agonizing pain seems like a strange choice.
If she sticks around long enough she’s going to face plenty of fighters like Blanchfield and Stoliarenko, but why not space them out with some fights that test other areas of her game?
Anyways, bring on Angela Hill.
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