Molly McCann

Molly McCann, nicknamed 'Meatball', is an English mixed martial artist who became the first English woman to fight in and win a UFC bout, known for her fan-favourite energy and spectacular finishes.

When Molly McCann signed with the UFC in 2018 she became the first English woman to join the promotion, and in March 2022 she delivered the performance that defined her career — a spinning elbow finish of Luana Carolina at UFC London that became one of the most replayed knockouts in the promotion's history. She trained in karate, kickboxing, and Thai boxing from a young age and played football for five years with Liverpool Women's FC before an ankle injury ended that pursuit, leading her into MMA training in 2013 while studying sport at Liverpool John Moores University. McCann turned professional in 2015 and won the Cage Warriors Flyweight Championship in the regional circuit, before signing with the UFC in May 2018, becoming the first English woman to join the promotion. After an early setback in her UFC debut, she became the first English female fighter to win a UFC bout in 2019, and went on to become a fixture of the promotion's London and UK cards, forming a popular double-act with fellow Liverpudlian fighter Paddy Pimblett. McCann's signature moment came in March 2022, when she finished Luana Carolina with a spinning elbow at UFC London, one of the most replayed knockouts in the promotion's history, earning her nickname 'Meatball' — a reference to working at Subway to support herself early in her career — wider recognition. She continued fighting in the UFC's women's flyweight and later strawweight divisions before retiring from MMA in March 2025 following a loss at UFC London, transitioning into professional boxing.

• Former Cage Warriors Flyweight Champion
• First English woman to sign with the UFC (2018)
• First English female fighter to win a UFC bout (2019)
• UFC Performance of the Night, spinning elbow finish (2022)