UFC London went down this past weekend (Sat., July 22, 2023) inside The O2 in London, England, leaving plenty of fighters feeling the post-fight blues. Among them was Marcin Tybura, who was stopped by a resurgent Tom Aspinall, who knocked him out in just 73 seconds in his first fight in a year (highlights). And Andre Muniz, who was smashed by Paul Craig in round two in what marked the Middleweight debut for “Bearjew” (see it again here). But, which fighter is suffering from the worst post-fight hangover, now a few days removed from the show?
Coming into the event, many were questioning why McCann and Julija Stoliarenko received co-main event privileges over several other worthy matches on the card seeing as how both ladies were coming off defeats. Of course, the popularity “Meatball” has acquired in her short time with the promotion, plus that fact that she is from Liverpool, played big roles in matchmaker’s decision.
Nevertheless, McCann was out to erase the memory of the first round drubbing she received at the hands of Erin Blanchifeld in Nov. 2022 by attempting to pick up a win Stoliarenko, who was making her Flyweight debut.
Instead, things went from bad to worse for “Meatball.”
Once again, the out-spoken British slugger was out-classed from the onset by a fighter she was the favorite to beat, resulting in another first round finish (this time via armbar). It was a disappointing showing for McCann, who was expected to get back into the win column against a struggling fighter looking for some hope in a brand new weight class.
Now, “Meatball” will have to go back to the drawing board, reset and decide what her next move is, which will be a pivotal one to say the least.
Things weren’t always bad for McCann inside the Octagon. She did show promise by winning three of her first four fights, which helped her explode in popularity and ink a deal with Barstool Sports along with Paddy Pimblett. Plus, UFC has given her countless media opportunities, further shining the spotlight on the Brit.
She does have two win streaks of three in a row, but she’s also lost two straight twice, which is the position she currently finds herself in. Her recent losses are alarming, however, because she was absolutely steamrolled by her opponents.
That said, she can always figure out what is not working, get back to the lab and decide if she is going to stick around as a 125-pounder — where she won the Cage Warriors title — or jump to a different weight class for a fresh start.
That said, if she does stay at Flyweight perhaps a showdown against Gabriella Fernandes is in order. Like McCann, Fernandes is on a two-fight losing streak after dropping her first two bouts with the promotion earlier this year. The winner would get some newfound confidence and momentum, while the loser could develop further with a smaller promotion.
For complete UFC London results, coverage and highlights click HERE.