As Molly McCann gets set for what she describes “one of the biggest Fight Night cards there’s possibly ever been”, in her homeland, at a sold-out O2 Arena this weekend, she would be forgiven for getting caught up in the emotion of it all.
Nothing of the sort.
“You’ve seen me before at this time and there’s a lot of energy, a lot going on,” McCann tells The National from her hotel room ahead of Sunday morning's UFC London. “And this time I’m just chill, I’m not putting pressure on myself. I’m going in here to enjoy myself and to win.
“This calm comes from a place of hard work. I just know where I’m at the minute and I know what I’ve given until right now. So I’m good.”
An accomplished flyweight, McCann has been here before, of sorts. In the last UFC London, in March 2019, the Liverpool native defeated Priscila Cachoeira via unanimous decision to become the first Englishwoman to triumph in the UFC.
Yet she isn't keen to reminisce about the past. On Sunday, McCann takes on Brazil's Luana Carolina, part of a stacked card that features teammates, friends and a sizeable crop of the top talent in British MMA.
“I haven’t had a feeling quite like [2019] just because of the storyline attached to the win,” she says. “There’ll never be another first English female win in the UFC, so I’m never getting that moment back again. This is what you dream of, these are the kind of mornings that get you up in the morning when it’s Storm Eunice.
“The weather’s been horrible for this camp and the body’s been sore, and when it’s get tough and you just realise, 'Why are I am doing this?' And then that feeling carries you through those sessions.
“I don’t sit and dwell. You’re as good as your next performance. Nothing in the past - that’s newspaper, that’s chip paper. It’s all about Saturday. I don’t look past tomorrow. I look at every day, give my best to it and then Saturday morning I’ll wake up and think about it all.”
It's why McCann says, despite the obvious magnitude of the event, she's the “most chilled ever”. And that's even with the extended media commitments, or the documentary released on Tuesday by BT Sport that examines the highs and lows of McCann's career, and the battles with mental health.
“Everyone could be a bit nervous about the occasion for me and me fighting off emotion, especially with the documentary that just came out yesterday and a lot a lot going on. But look at me,” McCann says. “If you’re relaxed you don’t gas, if you’re relaxed you pick the correct shots. A calm mind sees clear.
I’ve done all I can do in training to give her the utmost respect she deserves. She hasn’t taken this fight thinking she’s going to lose
Molly McCann
“Everything’s aligned. The hard work takes you to where the good luck’s going to find you. So as long as you do the work, you’ll get a performance.”
As McCann implies, the confidence comes from the 12 hard weeks of camp – she feels in her best shape ever – not her most recent victory. Back in September, when coming off two losses and with “my career hanging in the balance”, she defeated Ji Yeon Kim by unanimous decision in Las Vegas. Her record stands now at 11-4 in professional MMA, and 4-3 in the UFC.
“This is professional fight No 16 for me … I had only three amateur,” McCann says. “People would have this many fights and then turn professional. So I’ve done a lot of learning on the job, and it’s my time. It’s my time now.”
That said, McCann is wary of the threat posed by Carolina. The Brazilian has won her past two fights, is three from four in the UFC, and 8-2 overall in pro MMA.
“Long and rangy Thai boxer,” McCann says. “What’s new? The UFC have thrown this at me … a lot. I am the smallest in the division, have the littlest range. It’s all the same, it’s just she’s a southpaw.
“I’ve done all I can do in training to give her the utmost respect she deserves. She hasn’t taken this fight thinking she’s going to lose. She’s not coming to England to lose. It’s not what Brazilians do; they’re like Scousers, like Irishmen, like Mexicans. There’s something in here [points to heart] that doesn’t give up. And she matches me there. That’s why the fight will be great.”
To be fair, McCann thinks the entire night will be something fantastic for British MMA. There’s the highly touted Muhammad Mokaev making his debut, fast-rising heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall headlining, and much expected from gifted prospects Jack Shore and Cory McKenna.
Meanwhile, Paddy Pimblett makes his second appearance in the UFC, when he faces Mexican Kazula Vargas in the night’s third-last bout. Much more than teammates, McCann refers to her fellow Liverpudlian as “my brother.” Much, then, is expected from the already hugely popular lightweight.
“The most emphatic walkout in UFC London history, a first-round obliteration of Vargas and an after-party to die for,” McCann says.
Clearly, though, the weekend means a lot all-round.
“It’s the highest honour a fighter in the UFC can probably have, other than main event in your home town, or fighting for world title,” McCann says. “It’s the next stepping stone.
“You’ve one of the biggest Fight Night cards there’s possibly ever been. We’ve got a full O2 Arena, sold out in minutes. And we all – not just myself, everyone from Britain – are just desperate to put on a performance for everyone to watch and to enjoy. I cannot wait.”
The Pope's itinerary
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?
The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.
A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.
Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.
The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.
When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
More coverage from the Future Forum
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors
Power: Combined output 920hp
Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km
On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025
Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Cricket World Cup League 2
UAE squad
Rahul Chopra (captain), Aayan Afzal Khan, Ali Naseer, Aryansh Sharma, Basil Hameed, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Farooq, Muhammad Jawadullah, Muhammad Waseem, Omid Rahman, Rahul Bhatia, Tanish Suri, Vishnu Sukumaran, Vriitya Aravind
Fixtures
Friday, November 1 – Oman v UAE
Sunday, November 3 – UAE v Netherlands
Thursday, November 7 – UAE v Oman
Saturday, November 9 – Netherlands v UAE
Infiniti QX80 specs
Engine: twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6
Power: 450hp
Torque: 700Nm
Price: From Dh450,000, Autograph model from Dh510,000
Available: Now
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Company Profile
Name: JustClean
Based: Kuwait with offices in other GCC countries
Launch year: 2016
Number of employees: 130
Sector: online laundry service
Funding: $12.9m from Kuwait-based Faith Capital Holding
Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas
Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa
Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong
Rating: 3/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204-cylinder%202.5-litre%20%2F%202-litre%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20188hp%20%2F%20248hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20244Nm%20%2F%20370Nm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%207-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh110%2C000%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Full Party in the Park line-up
2pm – Andreah
3pm – Supernovas
4.30pm – The Boxtones
5.30pm – Lighthouse Family
7pm – Step On DJs
8pm – Richard Ashcroft
9.30pm – Chris Wright
10pm – Fatboy Slim
11pm – Hollaphonic
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The five new places of worship
Church of South Indian Parish
St Andrew's Church Mussaffah branch
St Andrew's Church Al Ain branch
St John's Baptist Church, Ruwais
Church of the Virgin Mary and St Paul the Apostle, Ruwais
Call of Duty: Black Ops 6
Developer: Treyarch, Raven Software
Publisher: Activision
Console: PlayStation 4 & 5, Windows, Xbox One & Series X/S
Rating: 3.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Some of Darwish's last words
"They see their tomorrows slipping out of their reach. And though it seems to them that everything outside this reality is heaven, yet they do not want to go to that heaven. They stay, because they are afflicted with hope." - Mahmoud Darwish, to attendees of the Palestine Festival of Literature, 2008
His life in brief: Born in a village near Galilee, he lived in exile for most of his life and started writing poetry after high school. He was arrested several times by Israel for what were deemed to be inciteful poems. Most of his work focused on the love and yearning for his homeland, and he was regarded the Palestinian poet of resistance. Over the course of his life, he published more than 30 poetry collections and books of prose, with his work translated into more than 20 languages. Many of his poems were set to music by Arab composers, most significantly Marcel Khalife. Darwish died on August 9, 2008 after undergoing heart surgery in the United States. He was later buried in Ramallah where a shrine was erected in his honour.
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
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Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
The burning issue
The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE.
Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on
Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins
Read part one: how cars came to the UAE
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
