At UFC Fight Night 204, the Liverpudlian fan-favorite Molly McCann (11-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC) will make her return against the Brazilian Luana Carolina (8-2 MMA, 3-1 UFC) in what guarantees to be an exhilarating matchup.
Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina – UFC London Preview
Molly McCann is likely to receive one of the warmest welcomes by the London crowd, and for good reason. McCann, who has been competing in the UFC since 2018, has carved out an exciting personality and fighting style; win or lose, McCann is here to scrap. Her fight with the crafty Ji Yeon Kim proved as much, as McCann outmuscled her to a decision victory by taking over in the third round to close the bout. While McCann still remained technical and composed in that final round, there is an undeniable sense that McCann just wants it more than her opponent which permeates the atmosphere every time she enters the cage.
Luana Carolina has had something of a rough go of things in the UFC so far. Despite a 3-1 record, none of Carolina’s outings so far have done much to showcase her technical ability. Her debut against Priscila Cachoeira was a pretty sloppy affair, with Cachoeira’s defense being virtually non-existent, and Carolina failing to come even close to a stoppage despite landing virtually everything she threw. And in her most recent outing against Lupita Godinez, Carolina rarely utilized her jab despite having an 8 (yes, eight) inch reach advantage, or kept her opponent at distance, coming much closer to a potential loss on the scorecards than she have ever should been.
Molly McCann vs Luana Carolina – Head to Head
McCann has demonstrated some crafty boxing, with a good mix of patience in order to exploit her opponent’s mistakes. Usually, Carolina having a 7-inch reach advantage over McCann would be a pivotal point of discussion, but Carolina almost always has a reach advantage over her opponents and has never utilized it to any great effect before. She has not demonstrated good control over her range and does not seem to have much in the way of finishing instinct.
McCann has gone to the scorecards in every one of her winning UFC bouts, but the competition she has fought is a step above what Carolina has come up against. It seems likely that McCann is a little too experienced and, ultimately, more comfortable with her arsenal, what works and what does not, and just how much she wants it.
UFC London (UFC Fight Night 204) prelims start at 1 PM EST, and the entire card will be available on UFC Fight Pass.
Main Photo: Embed from Getty Images
