Skip to content
UFC simulation vs. the market Bout Simulator
Molly McCann
Women's Strawweight · “Meatball”

Molly McCann

14-8-0 UFC 7-7-0
Granite Chin Relentless Attack Forward Pressure Volume Machine Submission-Vulnerable
5'4"Height
62"Reach
OrthodoxStance
36Age
2KO wins
1Sub wins
42.9%Finish rate
10:12Avg fight

Skill profile

Rated 0–100 · where 138 MMA has read him, his grades and tags set each axis and the stats only nudge inside his band · stats alone where he is silent · the rim is reserved for specialists
Striking — Average, rated 67 of 100 · 138 MMA: striking good · Mar 2025 · stats read 72 → nudged +5 inside the band · tag ko power: good (+3) · claims striking power +1, striking volume +1, striking technique -1, pressure +1 (+2) Accuracy — Above avg, rated 73 of 100 · claims striking technique -1 (-2) Striking D — Below avg, rated 26 of 100 · claims striking defense -1 (-3) Durability — Above avg, rated 73 of 100 · claims chin +1 (+2) Wrestling — Above avg, rated 73 of 100 · claims td offense +1 (+2) TD Defense — Weak, rated 4 of 100 · claims td defense -3 (-6) Grappling — Below avg, rated 44 of 100 · 138 MMA: grappling decent · Mar 2025 · stats read 55 → nudged +5 inside the band · claims ground and pound +2 (+2) Control — Below avg, rated 31 of 100 · claims ground and pound +2 (+3) Striking Accuracy Striking D Durability Wrestling TD Defense Grappling Control
striking good
3 analyst reads graded this phase
  • good UFC Fight Night Edwards vs Brady Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · March 16, 2025 watch ↗
  • good UFC Fight Night Dolidze vs Imavov Full Card Analysis, Breakdown, & Prediction (UFC Vegas 85) · January 26, 2024 watch ↗
  • good UFC 281 Full Card Preview, Prediction, & Analysis · November 8, 2022 watch ↗
grappling decent
4 analyst reads graded this phase
  • decent UFC Fight Night Edwards vs Brady Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · March 16, 2025 watch ↗
  • decent UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 · July 23, 2024 watch ↗
  • decent UFC Fight Night Dolidze vs Imavov Full Card Analysis, Breakdown, & Prediction (UFC Vegas 85) · January 26, 2024 watch ↗
  • decent UFC Fight Night Aspinall vs Tybura Full Card Breakdown, Analysis, and Predictions (UFC London) · July 18, 2023 watch ↗
wrestling not yet read
cardio not yet read
durability not yet read
striking good 3 reads
grappling decent 4 reads
wrestling not yet read
cardio not yet read
durability not yet read

138 MMA anchors Striking, Grappling · his tags and claims adjust Accuracy, Striking D, Durability, Wrestling, TD Defense, Control.

Granite Chin never dropped in 142 minutes of cage time · 0 losses by knockout
Relentless Attack 90 offensive actions per 15 min — strikes, takedown and submission attempts together
Forward Pressure 5.3 landed and 4.7 absorbed per minute — he turns fights into firefights
Volume Machine 5.3 significant strikes landed per minute
Submission-Vulnerable 4 of 7 losses came by submission
Career rates — the raw numbers behind the chart
Sig. strikes landed / min5.28
Sig. strikes absorbed / min4.65
Striking accuracy49.9%
Striking defense62.5%
Knockdowns / 15 min0.21
Takedowns / 15 min1.78
Takedown accuracy37.0%
Takedown defense38.2%
Sub attempts / 15 min0.52
Control time12.3%
Record vs .500+ opponents1-2

Insider info

5 analyst reads · 138 MMA · our paraphrase, never his words
vs Istella Nunes clear UFC Fight Night Edwards vs Brady Full Card Analysis, Prediction & Breakdown · March 16, 2025
strikinggood grapplingdecent

He frames it as 'an easy win for her' against a weaker opponent, even while saying the pick isn't a vote for McCann's own level.

As of 2025-03-16, this is his newest known read. A good forward striker with real volume and power who has become head-hunting and spinning-elbow-reliant after recent knockouts, which the analyst flags as a positioning risk. Her grappling is decent, with good cage takedowns and powerful ground and pound.

Strengthforward pressure, volume and power
Strengthgood cage takedowns with powerful ground and pound
Weaknessovercommits to the spinning elbow and can get out of position chasing it
vs Bruna Brasil clear UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 · July 23, 2024 · 1 read since
grapplingdecent strikinggood

judges McCann the fighter better able to impose her own game plan here and takes her by decision outright; the only uncertainty voiced is over the method of victory, not the winner.

A forward-marching pressure striker whose game is built on power, volume and a bullying style, including a signature spinning elbow that has produced two finishes. Her clinch/cage grappling (takedowns against the fence into heavy ground-and-pound) is rated above her open-space clinch work, which he gives to Brasil. Her head-hunting habit leaves her body open.

Strengthgood forward pressure and power
Strengthbullying, high-volume style
Strengthdangerous spinning elbow (two career knockouts with it)
Strengthgood cage-clinch takedowns into very powerful ground-and-pound
Weaknesshead-hunting habit leaves her body open to counters
Weaknessweaker in open-space tie-clinch exchanges than Brasil
Weaknessrisks over-committing to the spinning elbow once it has worked before
vs Diana Belbita lean UFC Fight Night Dolidze vs Imavov Full Card Analysis, Breakdown, & Prediction (UFC Vegas 85) · January 26, 2024 · 2 reads since
strikinggood grapplingdecent

He commits to Belbita with a full mechanism (reach, jab, avoiding the clinch) built from a deliberate rewatch of their first fight, but explicitly calls this one of his weaker picks on the card and notes the heavy underdog price -- a hedge on the pick itself, not only on price.

McCann is a good, aggressive forward-pressure striker with real power and volume who bullies her way forward into the clinch and the cage, mixing in takedowns from there with powerful ground-and-pound. She has a head-hunting tendency and throws a low-percentage spinning elbow often because it has worked for her before. She is hittable and gave up a point in their first meeting for grabbing the fence to stop a takedown.

Strengthgood, aggressive forward-pressure striking, power, volume, bully style
Strengthdecent grappling, mixes in takedowns against the cage
Strengthvery powerful ground and pound
Weaknesshittable
Weaknesslow-percentage spinning elbow thrown frequently
vs Julija Stoliarenko clear UFC Fight Night Aspinall vs Tybura Full Card Breakdown, Analysis, and Predictions (UFC London) · July 18, 2023 · 3 reads since
grapplingdecent strikinggood

Names McCann as his pick and says he feels good about it -- confident, with no stay-away; he actively calls her 'safe to bet on', the opposite of a stay-away instruction.

McCann is a bully-style fighter who presses forward with power, good volume and some head-hunting, backed by decent grappling, mixed-in takedowns and powerful ground-and-pound. The analyst says she is better than Stoliarenko everywhere outside the armbar and expects a finish, favoring a striking-first gameplan over risking takedowns.

Strengthforward pressure/bully style
Strengthpower and volume striking
Strengthdecent grappling/ground-and-pound
Weaknesscan be a headhunter (tunnel-visions on the head)
ko power · good
vs Erin Blanchfield lean UFC 281 Full Card Preview, Prediction, & Analysis · November 8, 2022 · 4 reads since
strikinggood

Named plainly at seg 13 with a detailed, stand-alone knockout-upside concession for McCann. Capped from a higher grade by an explicit refusal to wager, citing poor value on the favorite, plus a light-hearted sit-back-and-relax line -- wager caution, not doubt about who he's naming.

A powerful, composed boxer with good forward pressure who does not get rattled even after absorbing shots, per the analyst's read of her recent fight. Her acknowledged limitation is that heavy commitment to her hands leaves her more exposed to the takedown, which plays directly into Blanchfield's strength.

Strengthgood, rugged power boxing
Strengthgood forward pressure
Strengthdoesn't get rattled in a firefight, keeps composure after getting hit
Weaknesscan be grappled/taken down, in part because committing to her hands leaves the takedown open
ko power · good

Striking trend

Sig. strikes/min, last 8 fights · green = win
September 4, 2021 vs Ji Yeon Kim — 8.47/min (W) Sep '21 March 19, 2022 vs Luana Carolina — 7.16/min (W) Mar '22 July 23, 2022 vs Hannah Goldy — 6.21/min (W) — only 3.9 min of tape, so this rate reflects how fast the fight ended more than how he fought Jul '22 November 12, 2022 vs Erin Blanchfield — 1.94/min (L) — only 3.6 min of tape, so this rate reflects how fast the fight ended more than how he fought Nov '22 July 22, 2023 vs Julija Stoliarenko — 3.13/min (L) — only 1.9 min of tape, so this rate reflects how fast the fight ended more than how he fought Jul '23 February 3, 2024 vs Diana Belbita — 8.43/min (W) — only 5.0 min of tape, so this rate reflects how fast the fight ended more than how he fought Feb '24 July 27, 2024 vs Bruna Brasil — 2.13/min (L) Jul '24 March 22, 2025 vs Alexia Thainara — 1.99/min (L) — only 4.5 min of tape, so this rate reflects how fast the fight ended more than how he fought Mar '25

Fight history

14 UFC bouts · newest first · opponent records as of fight night
L Alexia Thainara 0-0 walk-in Submission · R1 4:32 — UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady · March 22, 2025
9/21Sig. strikes
11/21Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Bruna Brasil 1-2 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 304: Edwards vs. Muhammad 2 · July 27, 2024
32/56Sig. strikes
44/74Absorbed
2/7Takedowns
3:31Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Diana Belbita 15-8 walk-in Submission · R1 4:59 — UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov · February 3, 2024
42/91Sig. strikes
29/77Absorbed
2/2Takedowns
1:08Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
L Julija Stoliarenko 10-7-2 walk-in Submission · R1 1:55 — UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Tybura · July 22, 2023
6/16Sig. strikes
9/29Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:07Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Erin Blanchfield 9-1 walk-in Submission · R1 3:37 — UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira · November 12, 2022
7/13Sig. strikes
25/38Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:00Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Hannah Goldy 6-2 walk-in KO/TKO · R1 3:52 — UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall · July 23, 2022
24/52Sig. strikes
9/33Absorbed
0/1Takedowns
0:10Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Luana Carolina 8-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R3 1:52 — UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall · March 19, 2022
85/159Sig. strikes
64/132Absorbed
2/2Takedowns
4:30Control
1Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Ji Yeon Kim 9-3-2 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till · September 4, 2021
127/272Sig. strikes
122/361Absorbed
2/3Takedowns
0:47Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Lara Procopio 6-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov · February 6, 2021
37/47Sig. strikes
36/58Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:50Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
L Taila Santos 15-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Kattar vs. Ige · July 15, 2020
48/106Sig. strikes
57/143Absorbed
0/4Takedowns
0:56Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Diana Belbita 13-4 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Reyes vs. Weidman · October 18, 2019
113/238Sig. strikes
98/252Absorbed
5/14Takedowns
3:39Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Ariane da Silva 11-4 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. The Korean Zombie · June 22, 2019
108/213Sig. strikes
68/271Absorbed
2/2Takedowns
0:43Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Priscila Cachoeira 8-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal · March 16, 2019
107/197Sig. strikes
75/234Absorbed
2/11Takedowns
1:14Control
0Knockdowns
2Sub attempts
L Gillian Robertson 4-2 walk-in Submission · R2 2:05 — UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till · May 27, 2018
10/33Sig. strikes
17/50Absorbed
0/0Takedowns
0:02Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts

Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.

Record breakdown

Full pro career (Wikipedia, results only)
14-8-0Pro record
Next Generation MMA (2013–present)Gym / team

Wins by method

KO/TKO 6
Submission 1
Decision 7
Other 0

Losses by method

KO/TKO 0
Submission 4
Decision 4
Other 0

Fights by organization

UFC 14
Cage Warriors 3
Shock n' Awe 3
Shinobi War 1
XFC International 1
Full career — 22 fights, every organization
OpponentMethodEventOrg RdTime
L Alexia Thainara Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Edwards vs. Brady
March 22, 2025
UFC 1 4:32
L Bruna Brasil Decision (unanimous) UFC 304
July 27, 2024
UFC 3 5:00
W Diana Belbiţă Submission (armbar) UFC Fight Night: Dolidze vs. Imavov
February 3, 2024
UFC 1 4:59
L Julija Stoliarenko Submission (armbar) UFC Fight Night: Aspinall vs. Tybura
July 22, 2023
UFC 1 1:55
L Erin Blanchfield Submission (kimura) UFC 281
November 12, 2022
UFC 1 3:37
W Hannah Goldy TKO (spinning back elbow and punches) UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Aspinall
July 23, 2022
UFC 1 3:52
W Luana Carolina KO (spinning back elbow) UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall
March 19, 2022
UFC 3 1:52
W Kim Ji-yeon Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Brunson vs. Till
September 4, 2021
UFC 3 5:00
L Lara Procópio Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov
February 6, 2021
UFC 3 5:00
L Taila Santos Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Kattar vs. Ige
July 16, 2020
UFC 3 5:00
W Diana Belbiţă Decision (unanimous) UFC on ESPN: Reyes vs. Weidman
October 18, 2019
UFC 3 5:00
W Ariane Lipski Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Moicano vs. The Korean Zombie
June 22, 2019
UFC 3 5:00
W Priscila Cachoeira Decision (unanimous) UFC Fight Night: Till vs. Masvidal
March 16, 2019
UFC 3 5:00
L Gillian Robertson Technical Submission (rear-naked choke) UFC Fight Night: Thompson vs. Till
May 27, 2018
UFC 2 2:05
W Bryony Tyrell TKO (punches) Cage Warriors 90
February 24, 2018
Cage Warriors 2 1:32
W Priscila de Souza Decision (unanimous) Cage Warriors 88
October 28, 2017
Cage Warriors 3 5:00
W Lacey Schuckman Decision (unanimous) Cage Warriors 82
April 1, 2017
Cage Warriors 3 5:00
W Anjela Pink TKO (knees to the body and punches) Shinobi War 9
November 26, 2016
Shinobi War 1 0:50
W Macicilia Benkhettache TKO (punches) Shock n' Awe 23
October 1, 2016
Shock n' Awe 2 1:15
W Valérie Domergue Decision (split) Shock n' Awe 22
April 1, 2016
Shock n' Awe 3 5:00
L Vanessa Melo Decision (unanimous) XFC International 12
November 28, 2015
XFC International 3 5:00
W Katy Horlick TKO (punches) Shock n' Awe 20
May 30, 2015
Shock n' Awe 1 3:12

Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Molly McCann) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.

Division context

vs. 58 qualified Women's Strawweight fighters · tick = division mean
Striking volume /min 5.3 avg 3.9
Strikes absorbed /min 4.7 avg 4.1
Striking accuracy 49.9% avg 45.0%
Striking defense 62.5% avg 54.4%
Takedowns /15 min 1.8 avg 1.5
Takedown accuracy 37.0% avg 38.7%
Takedown defense 38.2% avg 60.8%
Sub attempts /15 min 0.5 avg 0.5
Control time 12.3% avg 21.2%
Finish rate 42.9% avg 33.9%

Headshot of Molly McCann by Everton Football Club · CC BY 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons · cropped and resized