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By Simon Head
MMA author
England’s’Meatball’ Molly McCann produced performance to claim a landslide decision win over Romania’s Diana Belbita at UFC Fight Night in Boston, Massachusetts.
The 29-year-old in Liverpool finished a hat-trick of wins with a extensive all-round functionality in 2019.
She mixed her striking up with an ever-improving floor game to maintain scores of 30-26 at the TD Garden on every one of the judges’ scorecards.
UFC debutant Belbita seemed to begin the greater of the two, and led into the contest riding a win series and immediately settled into her rhythm that was striking, but by the conclusion of the opening round McCann was on top.
A large takedown in the conclusion of this initial round gave a glimpse of things to emerge in the moment as McCann switched her assault from striking wrestling and mastered the Romanian, whose despair to stop another big takedown saw her deducted a point for perennial fencing grabs.
When the action resumed McCann took Belbita into a barrage of ground strikes and also unloaded the mat that came close to making a second-round finish to the Liverpudlian.
I felt as though I was going to be sick
To her as McCann dominated with her boxing to secure all three rounds on the scorecards to claim the 10th triumph of her mixed martial arts profession, Belbita endured the round, but had left to offer in the frame.
McCann’s very first octagon look saw her lose out into Canadian grappler Gillian Robertson in her hometown UFC Liverpool at May 2018, however the former Cage Warriors women’s flyweight champion bounced back to assert unanimous decision successes over Priscila Cachoeira and prior KSW champion Ariane Lipski at March and June respectively.
And the success in Boston of McCann completed a hat-trick of wins within the octagon as her record improved to 10-2 and revealed her improvement as she looks to climb the ladder in the UFC women’s flyweight division.
Despite her impressive functionality, McCann demonstrated after the battle that she was feeling ill during the competition, stating:”I felt like I was going to become ill.
“I’ll be glad when I look back, but I’m devastated at the moment.
“I need to get back in there and do another 3 rounds to repair it. I’ll jump all over it Should they give me a second opportunity before the end of the calendar year.
“At least my worst day, I produced a performance that got me a triumph.”
At the night’s most important card opener, English middleweight Darren’The Dentist’ Stewart showcased his enhanced gas tank as he endured multiple takedowns from former US national team wrestler Deron Winn before utilizing his striking to earn the achievement via split decision and then hand the American his first career loss.
Stewart, 28 , repeatedly battled his way back to his toes, although winn held the advantage in the wrestling aspect of the competition.
Stewart’s aerobic began to tilt the contest in his favour as started to evade the takedowns of Winn and punish the American using boxing Since the bout went beyond the stage. It gave the border in the final reckoning since he took the win on the scorecards with scores of 28-29, 29-28, 29-28 to fasten the 11th win of his career and his fourth success in his last five outings in the UFC to the Brit.
Following his victory, Stewart said he’d enjoy nothing more than when the UFC yields to London to make his second appearance.
“I’d love to fight at London again,” he explained.
“Allow me to struggle in my hometown, give me a chance to show just how much I’ve improved since the previous time and set on a show for my fans.”
