Molly McCann has revealed that she believed she was “done with MMA” after suffering her last defeat in November.
‘Meatball’ had enjoyed a dream start to 2022 thanks to her perfectly-timed spinning elbow KO of Luana Carolina.A moment that saw McCann truly announce herself to the world in front of an electric London crowd. The fairytale continued as the then-32-year-old followed it up with a similar stoppage victory over Hannah Goldy, four months later.
McCann looked to be shaping up as a possible contender for the Flyweight title but her momentum crashed to a halt with a submission defeat to formidable prospect Erin Blanchfield. In an honest interview with BT Sport, ‘Meatball’ confessed that in the aftermath she considered giving up on her fighting career.
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“I get every single thing that I wanted - in terms of financial stability, good sponsors, get the respect off the public and the notoriety I deserved for my time served - and to cap it all off it just goes t*** up and then I feel worse than I've ever felt after a loss,” McCann said. “It was well worse than UFC Liverpool (in 2018).
"It was tough. I really struggled to smell the roses at the end of the year. I felt like at the end of the year, I had to forget about ‘Meatball’, I’d had enough of MMA.”
A few months later, the former Cage Warriors champion helped Team England prepare for the IMMAF World Championships. However, it had taken months for 'Meatball' to return to the gym and McCann turned down the opportunity to star in London once again, prioritising her mental wellbeing.
“I think I was embarrassed and ashamed. You’re living your worst nightmare every time you have to meet someone for the first time since you’ve lost,” McCann admitted, reflecting on the feelings she experienced after the Blanchfield loss. “You have to explain again and again.
“It was in that moment that I thought, ‘I might just coach, I don’t think I can do MMA again, I think I’m too sore’. I didn’t train again from November to January, I couldn’t. Then when I started coaching again I thought maybe I can do this.
“I got the call for (UFC 286 in) London in March, Leon (Edwards’) card, and I said, ‘Can I ring you back after my holiday?’ I rang (manager Graham Boylan) back on 2 January and told him, ‘I’m not ready to shoot into another fight camp. I need time to grow and learn and be better and be sound in my mind.’”
Taking time away from the sport, as well as getting engaged, appears to have been the perfect remedy for McCann to rediscover her desire to compete. She is set to face Brazilian Jiu-jitsu specialist Julija Stoliarenko at the O2 Arena in July but is far from daunted by the prospect of returning to the octagon.
“I feel like the pressure’s gone,” she said. “I just can’t wait to get out and fight. Not even to silence people because the outside noise means nothing but just walk out to my Jamie Webster, get the fans on one. I just want to win.”
McCann added: “I don’t really know what I’d do without MMA, I can’t really remember too much from before I was a full-time athlete. I’m not even thinking about what I’ll do after, there’s still a lot of fight left in the old dog yet.”
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