The Evertonian on being turned away from a boxing fitness center as a baby and the Scouse trait that is made her a trailblazer within the sport
Molly McCann can be preventing in her residence metropolis tonight (Image: Getty Images)
Molly McCann has come a good distance since working night shifts at Subway. Working at the sandwich chain in her early 20s offered the Meatball nickname she has carried together with her all through her rise to turn out to be one in all Liverpool’s most famous sports activities stars.
The 35-year-old is getting ready for an additional particular profession milestone tonight (April 18) as she is going to make her skilled boxing debut in her residence metropolis. Of course, McCann has fought in Liverpool earlier than when she was an MMA fighter for Cage Warriors and UFC, however Saturday’s match in opposition to Ashleigh Johnson can be her first within the M&S Bank Arena since she made the transfer to the candy science in 2025.
The Evertonian has had 4 wins since she turn out to be a boxer and is anticipating this to be her most emotional combat within the boxing ring but, as she goals to hold her undefeated document intact. She mentioned: “I’ve received a world title in MMA in that area. I’ve been put akip within the UFC in that area. I’ve been all over the world and again once more. I’ve by no means had the sensation like preventing in that M&S Bank Arena.
“Making the stroll down the again into the changies, I’ve by no means felt nothing fairly prefer it.” Molly’s journey to turn out to be a fighter began aged 12 when she walked into St Teresa’s ABC in Norris Green together with her cousin James.
However, ladies’s fight sports activities was regarded down upon at the time and Molly was instructed she wasn’t allowed to field, just because she was a lady. However, the Scouser is not the kind of one that lies down with no combat as she told the ECHO in 2016: “They wouldn’t let me in.
“I had to stand there and ask if I could come in. One day they let me in to spar, I sparred with the lads and smashed them to bits. They let me in after that. But only me.”
Molly’s boxing went from strength to strength as she continued training, but she pivoted to MMA as she discovered how few opportunities were available in women’s boxing for someone in her weight class. She has been at the forefront of the growth of women’s combat sports with her ferocious style and headline grabbing knockouts going a long way to bringing the sport into the mainstream.
She become one of UFC’s biggest stars and enjoyed viral moments with Drake, who bought her a Rolex in 2022, and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, who described her spinning elbow knockout over Luana Carolina as “the devastating people’s Meatbow.”
Not many have done more to legitimise women’s sports than Molly, but breaking down barriers is emblematic of her defiant spirit, which she puts down to her Liverpool upbringing. She told the ECHO in 2023: “Scousers are built this way because of the years of degeneration, of things being taken from us and being treated in a different manner to how other cities are.
“The North doesn’t forget, we don’t forget. That has created a mentality of ‘if one of us wins, then we all win’ so we’re all going to push ourselves to that. You could have a fiver in your pocket or £500 and it doesn’t change who you are.
“You’d still give your last however much to whoever to try and help them. That’s rare, there’s very few cities in the world that has a community like ours.”
The goal for Molly was always to return to boxing at some point in her life and she made the move days after announcing her MMA retirement last year. In an interview with the Guardian, she revealed how a career in fighting is hard for her mum, Sharon, and partner, Fran Parman.
She said: “It’s traumatic for Fran and even more traumatic for my mum. I’m 35 and I’ve been in the gym since I was 12. I had my first fight at 16. I’ve spent most of my life fighting.”
But preventing is in Molly’s DNA and her pure skill within the squared circle has gone a way to allaying any of these fears in her household. On her mum’s response after she signed a ten combat take care of promoter Eddie Hearn, she instructed the Guardian: “My mum rings and I told her I’ve just signed a 10-fight deal with Eddie. Put the phone down. She’s shouting: ‘Molly!’ She thought it was done because when I retired we hugged and she was like: ‘Sweet Lord, it’s over.’
“I ultimately rang my mum again and he or she mentioned: ‘I can get on board with this because I know you know how to box with your eyes shut.’ I then rang my nan as a result of she’s the matriarch. She mentioned: ‘I might come to these fights.”
However, Molly said her nan must wait as the fighter is still working hard to achieve her ultimate goal. She added: “She came to watch me win a national championship and the world title in MMA. So I said: ‘You’ll solely come to one combat – once I headline Goodison Park – since you’re an excellent omen.’”
