When former UFC strawweight Molly McCann retired from MMA in March, she didn’t say she was done fighting. On Tuesday, she announced she’d signed with Matchroom Boxing, which is led by Eddie Hearn.
“This was always the dream,” McCann told DAZN.
McCann was an accomplished amateur boxer who chose MMA because it made the most business sense at the time. At 35, and having reached her ceiling as a mixed martial artist, McCann has chosen to return to her roots.
“As everyone knows, I’ve boxed before,” McCann said. “My weight didn’t get added to the Olympic Games and 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. I cannot wait to fight, just show everyone the pedigree of boxing that I’ve got. People will probably just think I’m going to run in and try to take chins off, which is correct! That is what I’m going to do. But in an educated manner.”
Here’s a look at the interview.
In the Octagon, McCann was known for her all-action style. While she recorded two of the more memorable KO finishes in MMA in 2022 (back-to-back spinning backfist KO wins), her Achilles’ heel was always the grappling.
McCann’s record in MMA was 14–8, with four of those losses coming by submission. That includes the loss she took in what turned out to be her retirement fight against the flamboyant Alexia Thainara.
McCann is expected to compete in the bantamweight division. Because of her pedigree and the power of Matchroom, McCann is expected to move quickly toward a title shot in her division.
Dina Thorslund is considered the No. 1 fighter in the division. She was scheduled to defend her title against Shurreta Metcalf on the massive July 11 card in New York, headlined by Katie Taylor vs. Amanda Serrano III.
However, Thorslund had to pull out of the fight after discovering she is pregnant with her second child. Cherneka Johnson is stepping up in her place. If McCann makes her debut sometime soon, it wouldn’t be crazy to see her challenging for a world title by the end of 2026—if not earlier next year.
McCann knows she is rekindling the boxing journey at a later stage in her career, and things must move with a sense of urgency.
McCann had a large fanbase with the UFC because of her fighting style and charismatic personality. She figures to carry a similar following as a professional boxer—especially if she wins. If McCann finds success in boxing, there is a formula there for her to become one of the breakout stars in women’s boxing in 2026.
Hearn and Matchroom see it and will likely do everything in their power to put her in a position to shine. McCann’s announcement comes just a few days after another former UFC star returned to boxing.
Holly Holm, a former world champion in both sports and a likely future member of both Hall of Fames (she’s already in for boxing), signed with Jake Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions. Holm looked great in her return to boxing on Saturday when she scored a lopsided unanimous decision win over Yolanda Vega.
In case you’re wondering, Holm is likely too big to clash with McCann in boxing—though that fight would be a draw. We’ll see who McCann gets in her Matchroom debut.
