Out gay former UFC fighter returns to boxing roots, signs with promoter Eddie Hearn
Molly McCann, a former amateur boxing champion, returns to the sweet science after retiring from the UFC in March. The post Out gay former UFC fighter returns to boxing roots, signs with promoter Eddie Hearn appeared first on Outsports.
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Former UFC fighter Molly McCann is continuing her combat sports journey, just with a different yet familiar set of gloves.
The out LGBTQ fighter announced Thursday that she has signed with boxing promoter Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing to return to her boxing roots, promising to win a world championship “within eight fights.”
“This was always the dream,” McCann said during an appearance on the promotion’s Small Talk podcast. “I’ve boxed before. My weight didn’t get added to the Olympic Games, so the only other option was MMA.
“MMA has given me a phenomenal life, one that boxing could never give me, but my love was always in the squared circle.”
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The 35-year-old’s decision comes just over three months after her retirement from mixed martial arts. She lost her last fight against Alexia Thainara at the “UFC Fight Night” event in London, England on March 22.
The woman affectionately known as “Meatball” left quite the mark during her 10 years in the octagon. McCann TKO’d Bryony Tyrell to become the inaugural Cage Warriors Women’s Flyweight champion in 2018, only three months before her UFC debut in Liverpool, England.
McCann holds the record for most fight bonuses by a UFC Women’s Flyweight fighter and emerged as a major figure within British combat sports during her seven-year run with the company, winning fights in both the Flyweight and Strawweight divisions during her tenure.
“Obviously [McCann’s] been a massive star within the UFC, built a profile globally as well, and we’re delighted to start the journey with her,” Hearn said. “Going to be fighting her all around the world and it’s going to be some massive nights.
“I had the pleasure of watching her cageside in the UFC, which the energy, the atmosphere, the fanbase of this woman is incredible. Great person, great fighter, and now putting the gloves on for real. The boxing journey is about to begin”
McCann’s boxing pedigree is no joke. Prior to competing in mixed martial arts and grappling, McCann was a champion amateur boxer. She won the 2009 Amateur Boxing Association championship at Featherweight in her home nation and trained extensively before making the switch to MMA in 2015.
Despite the decade away, the Liverpool native is ready to work her way into title contention in a women’s boxing world that is drastically different than the last time she stepped between the ropes competitively.
“I cannot wait to just show everyone the pedigree of boxing that I’ve got. People would probably think I’m just going to run in and just try and take chins off, which is correct. That’s what I’m going to do but in an educated manner,” McCann said.
“The ultimate goal is to be a real champion, and not for some phoney promotion… I want to give the sport of boxing the respect it deserves. I’ve got to earn my stripes just like everyone else.
“I work so hard on building the brands in MMA, changing stereotypes and just working really hard on that. Women’s boxing is at a tipping point. It’s quite a pivotal moment right now in the sport.”
Details regarding McCann’s first fight or which weight class she will compete in are yet to be announced.
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The post Out gay former UFC fighter returns to boxing roots, signs with promoter Eddie Hearn appeared first on Outsports.
