Molly McCann, a Liverpudlian, took aim at the Conservative Party of Britain in her post-fight speech at UFC London on Saturday night, leading the crowd in chanting “F*** the Tories.”
With a spinning back elbow, McCann put Luana Carolina out of her misery at the O2 Arena in London in March, sending the crowd into ecstasy with what many considered the greatest knockout in women’s MMA history. With an exact duplicate of her stunning hit, the 32-year-old knocked out Hannah Goldy this past weekend.
First-round finisher McCann spoke to the Octagon crowd: “Guys, give a listen [to the audience].” I’m not sure if I’ve ever witnessed this kind of support for a female competitor in combat sports in the United Kingdom.
“Thank you, working-class people… and everyone else who’s come to get me. What makes [fighters] finish is those walkouts and the energy you bring.
They let you down, everyone else on this card, since they didn’t want it as much.” The Toffees fan quipped, “I’m not Everton Football Club, so I can’t disappoint you.”
It’d be nice if we could just sing a single song together. McCann came on board as well. “OK, I’m not going to swear,” the Liverpudlian said, before leading a chant in which she mimed the word “f” before fans chanted in full: “F the Tories.”
Pimblett, McCann’s friend and fellow Scouser, stole the show again later in the night, just like he did at March’s UFC London event.
Jordan Leavitt was stopped in the second round by a rear naked choke from Pimblett, who remains winless in the UFC. During his post-fight interview, “Paddy The Baddy” urged other men to be more forthcoming about their own experiences with mental illness.
The 27-year-old was awakened at 4am on Friday by a text message from a friend who had committed suicide in his hometown. Five hours before my weigh-in, I ate this. So, Ricky, young man, here’s a present for you.
“However, there is a widespread belief that men are incapable of communicating openly. You know, if you’re a man and you’re feeling overwhelmed and you’re considering taking your own life, please talk to someone, anyone.
“Personally, I’d rather… For the sake of my sanity, I’d rather have my partner sob on my shoulder than attend his burial next week. It is time to get rid of the stigma attached to talking about sex, and men, get talking.”