MMA Star Bids Adieu in the Cage: "Enough is Enough, UFC Needs Better"
Farewell From One of the Toughest: Molly McCann Bids Adieu to the Octagon
It's the end of an era for the tenacious Molly "Meatball" McCann, a Liverpudlian women's MMA trailblazer who hung up her gloves after a heart-wrenching loss at the O2 Arena, London.
In a UFC fight devoid of knockouts, McCann, the gritty UFC pioneer, succumbed to a first-round submission defeat from Alexia Thainara, a late replacement. And, as it turns out, this defeat marked the end of the line for both her UFC journey and her career in MMA.
Following the defeat, a tearful McCann made an impassioned retirement speech in the Octagon, lamenting her performance as unworthy of the UFC, herself, and her fans. Nicky Roumeliotis, a well-known Irish MMA figure, punctuated McCann's words, tweeting that it indeed was "Emotional watching Molly McCann."
Thainara was stepping into the Octagon on a week's notice, and it seemed Molly had made up her mind beforehand that a loss to the newcomer would signal the end of her career. As McCann laid her gloves in the centre of the Octagon, she didn't openly declare her retirement in her post-fight interview with Michael Bisping, but one could sense her decision in the air.
A Career Filled With Highs and Lows
The Liverpudlian fighter, who once stood victorious as the Cage Warriors women's flyweight champion, first stormed into the UFC scene in 2018. Known for her electric personality and fan-friendly fighting style, she earned a UFC slot that year but suffered a submission defeat against Gillian Robertson in her promotional debut in September 2018.
Submission defense eventually proved to be McCann's Achilles' heel throughout her career, with four of her eight losses coming by submission. After losing to Robertson, however, McCann racked up a three-fight winning streak in 2019. This streak was marked by two consecutive knockouts via a spectacular spinning back elbow.
McCann earned a performance bonus in all three of these victories, but her form has since waned, with just two wins in her last five fights, three of which finished in the first round via submission. At 34, McCann feels she has achieved all she can in the sport and steps away as one of the region's most cherished fighters.
UFC London Results
The UFC London event saw several thrilling matches unfold. Highlights include Sean Brady's victory over Leon Edwards via fourth-round submission (guillotine), and Carlos Ulberg's decisive win against Jan Błachowicz. Our very own Kevin Holland also emerged victorious over Gunnar Nelson.
In the main event of the evening, Alexia Thainara bested Molly McCann with a submission (rear-naked choke). Here are the complete results from the event:
UFC London Results
- Welterweight Bout: Sean Brady def. Leon Edwards via fourth-round submission (guillotine)
- Light Heavyweight Bout: Carlos Ulberg def. Jan Błachowicz via unanimous decision (29-28x3)
- Welterweight Bout: Kevin Holland def. Gunnar Nelson via unanimous decision (29-28x3)
- Women's Strawweight Bout: Alexia Thainara def. Molly McCann via submission (rear-naked choke)
- Lightweight Bout: Chris Duncan def. Jordan Vucenic via second-round submission (guillotine)
- Featherweight Bout: Nathaniel Wood def. Morgan Charrière via unanimous decision (30-27x3)
UFC Fight Night London Preliminary Card Results
- Lightweight Bout: Chris Padilla def. Jai Herbert via split decision (29-28x2, 28-29)
- Flyweight Bout: Lone'er Kavanagh def. Felipe dos Santos via unanimous decision (29-28x3)
- Heavyweight Bout: Marcin Tybura def. Mick Parkin via unanimous decision (29-28x3)
- Middleweight Bout: Christian Leroy Duncan def. Andre Pulyaev via unanimous decision (30-27x2, 30-26)
- Women's Strawweight Bout: Shauna Bannon def. Puja Tomar via second-round submission
- Bantamweight Bout: Caolan Loughran def. Nathan Fletcher via split decision (29-28x2, 28-29)
- Lightweight Bout: Kaue Fernandes def. Guram Kutateladze via unanimous decision (30-27x3)
- Molly McCann, the retiring UFC fighter, faced Alexia Thainara in her final bout at the UFC London event held at the O2 Arena in 2025.
- Remarkably, Thainara, who was a late replacement, ended McCann's MMA career with a submission victory in the first round of their UFC Women's Strawweight match.
- Despite the loss, McCann's career in the UFC was full of memorable moments, including her stint as the Cage Warriors women's flyweight champion and her impressive spinning back elbow knockouts.
