McCann plans boxing comeback: ‘I need the UFC title first’

Molly McCann has a homecoming in Liverpool and a ‘little dance’ at Madison Sq. Backyard etched on her record of unfinished boxing feats, however for now her focus is just on chasing the UFC belt alongside her octagonal brother Buddy Pemblet.

The 31-year-old produced fireworks befitting of the UFC’s return to London after three years this month when she hit Luana Carolina with a shocking reverse elbow to lift her file to 12-4.

She was made to carry out the night time earlier than a star-studded viewers in what was the best sporting occasion ever at The O2.

“It seems totally different,” McCann informed Sky Sports activities. “I feel girls are actually incapable of eliminating one another, similar to a chilly stone for counting.

“And I feel the place the place I did it, it is by no means been seen earlier than, and likewise the truth that it was most likely top-of-the-line knockouts in a spotlight reel that might be used for the remainder of the time within the age of issues that go viral.

“The individuals who have been there, the likes of Anthony Joshua, Wayne Rooney, Eddie Hearn, William Payne, everybody who was there, all these huge names, it was simply an enormous occasion and the way profitable it was.”

She did not have noble title ambitions throughout the UFC, however she confirmed her dedication to in the future return to her boxing roots amid a day and age of more and more widespread crossovers in combative disciplines.

The undisputed light-weight champion Clarissa Shields is among the many main case research on this regard, having entered the combined martial arts world with the Professional Fighters League in 2020.

McCann defined, “I come from novice boxing and I am going again to boxing, and I will do crossovers and crossovers after I end in MMA.”

“If that was your bread and butter, I feel the individuals coming from MMA into boxing can be as a result of boxing did not exist, the professional scene did not exist, which is why you most likely had to enter MMA.

“I feel inside boxing you speak about ‘it is at all times concerning the cash’ however there’s more cash for girls in MMA than there’s in boxing.

“Clearly it is totally different for the blokes however it’s actually concerning the cash that is why Clarissa Shields got here to MMA.”

Shields is a giant advocate of equal pay for girls in sports activities, an space McCann additionally believes boxing ought to handle going ahead.

“In MMA and UFC, we’re handled like males and we combat the identical quantity of rounds for a similar quantity of minutes, we pay the identical quantity, I feel boxing is the one sort of downfall.

“The ladies are robbed of the additional minute within the spherical, and it is laborious to get the end level in these two minutes. However you’ve got been watching Natasha Jonas for 2 weeks and nonetheless get a KO till you are there.”

McCann, who decisively defeated Ji Yeon Kim in September amid presumed uncertainty over her UFC future, admits that the title shot remains to be seemingly a number of fights, although she insists she is able to combat for that proper to compete on the prime and she or he prepared for something. alternative which will current itself.

Though there’s a plan for an eventual return to the ring, boxing remains to be on the again burner in favor of a part that feels prefer it’s beginning to make its mark on it.

She added, “It should at all times be after that. I’ve devoted the final 9 years of my life to MMA and after I gained the belt, that is my objective anyway, to retire on the prime after which go into boxing.”

“If I can not get the belt or one thing occurs that I can not combat for the belt, I’ll go 100% into boxing.

“It felt like my time in boxing was being robbed, I need to combat in Liverpool earlier than I end.”

McCann is a detailed pal of rising UFC star Pemblete, whose first-round victory over Rodrigo Vargas in London led to a “We’re Right here to Keep” embrace contained in the cage amongst his Liverpool teammates.

Likened to that of Conor McGregor, Baddy’s impact has been each the talent in entrance of the cameras and the favored lead.

With that got here a welcome injection of self-confidence that would probably change McCann’s profession.

“I put quite a lot of strain on myself within the UFC, and I put quite a lot of strain on myself. And since being round me, I took the strain off, I ended complicating it, and I simply acquired again to what made me nice once more,” she stated.

“He is my little little brother and he provides me confidence and an edge and makes me imagine. I may do with out him however it’s higher with him.”

“Simply noticed his response after I gained after which sat down with Dana White when he gained and snuck into the cage and shared that second collectively.

“Solely you may inform how a lot which means. We’re just a little totally different and we will be like Marmite, you are going to love us or you are going to hate us and that is okay, everybody has their say, it would not matter to us, we’re right here dwelling our greatest lives.”

Flashers, unadulterated beliefs have labored successfully with Pemblett since her UFC landing, and appear to pounce on McCann as she chases down the highest ten.

She added: “Once we each acquired the £50,000 reward, I used to be on my means house like ‘I’ve at all times imagined this, however I by no means thought it could actually come true,'” and went ‘I did, I do know the place we’re going’ and generally it is Good to listen to him reconfirm.

“I’ve taken O2 and brought over Vegas and it is our factor now, he is a giant believer and he believes in what he says and what he says he does and it is good to encompass your self with somebody like that.”