Paddy Pimblett links up with Molly McCann after impressive win over Ashleigh Johnson

Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

Molly McCann picked up another win in her boxing career, and this one came in front of a home crowd in Liverpool, making it her biggest yet since leaving MMA.

After stepping away from the UFC last year, she moved over to boxing under Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom. The original headliner for the Liverpool card fell through when Callum Smith and David Morrell’s bout was cancelled, so ‘Meatball Molly’ stepped into the co-main event.

There are plenty of fighters who try to hype up their crowd appeal online without actually backing it up on fight night. That’s never been an issue for McCann. She drew thousands of fans to what ended up being a significant moment early in her new boxing journey, with Paddy Pimblett also showing support from ringside at the M&S Bank Arena.

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

Molly McCann defeats Ashleigh Johnson

With just 4,500 in attendance, Jamie Webster played Molly McCann into the ring while Ashleigh Johnson was greeted by a chorus of boos from the home crowd as she made her walk to the ring. However, she had no plans of backing down in the first round.

Webster stuck around for a multi-song set as Johnson tried to stay loose in the ring. It was McCann’s first fight in Liverpool since 2018 when she lost to Gillian Robertson by submission, but this night took on a very different tone.

In the opening round, Johnson was looking for her shot and walked forward often. But every time she got close enough to land something significant, McCann caught her clean. The second round played out much the same way, though Johnson did manage to snap McCann’s head back once amid an otherwise one-sided exchange.

Halfway through the fourth round, Johnson switched up her stance and turned it into more of a brawl. But still, McCann couldn’t miss with her counter uppercut that seemed to do some damage.