Molly McCann: There Is No Pretend

Molly McCann: There Is No Pretend

On its latest excursion to UK soil, the UFC roadshow provided us with a menu of the usual mixture of controversial scorecards, questionable referee calls, and the favourite in the main event getting knocked out cold, MMA rarely goes according to the script.

One Liverpool fighter might have suffered a surprising setback, but in a reversal of fortunes from the UFC’s visit to Liverpool last May, another scouser got her redemption several hours earlier.

Last May Darren Till earned himself a shot at UFC gold by squeaking past Stephen Thompson. By then Molly McCann would have already been licking her wounds, and the doubts already setting in about her place on the UFC roster, the unseen pain of defeat.

Sometimes in life, you need adversity to evolve as a person and in McCann’s case as a fighter also. You either make excuses or you evolve, McCann chose the latter, and the start of her evolution as a fighter began on Saturday night at the O2.

McCann wasn’t perfect, but it was better, and it was enough, and in typical McCann style it didn’t come easy, it wasn’t without drama, but she got there.

For two rounds she demonstrated a few of the old flaws that still remain, but McCann showed us far more in the way of improvement.

But then one punch threatened her night, Priscila Cachoeira out of nowhere suddenly had hope. That last round on Saturday night told us everything you need to know about McCann.

The referee you felt knew what it meant to the former Cage Warriors champion, 48 seconds away from history, he couldn’t deny McCann her moment of history, he probably didn’t dare.

A broken orbital you sense was her badge of honour, the price of victory she was more than willing to pay. McCann will be out while the fall, but you know she will be already planning her return, knowing there is another mountain to climb, fully aware it won’t get any easier.

McCann might suffer a setback or two on that journey to the summit. She may or may not reach the top, but she will give everything trying, and that will do for me.

McCann is proof that darkness can be followed by light, there is always hope, another day.

In the quest to replicate Conor, many create a character that doesn’t exist. The contradictions flow with every word uttered

While many want to protect their spot, and when the phone rings they don’t answer. Molly McCann will always pick up, there is no pretend.