Molly ‘Meatball’ McCann suffers a brutal first-round submission defeat at UFC London, as Julija Stoliarenko triumphs over Liverpudlian in co-main event to stun the O2 Arena crowd

Molly McCann suffered a brutal first-round defeat to Julija Stoliarenko during UFC London’s co-main event.

‘Meatball’ was forced to tap under two minutes of the fight after Stoliarenko locked in an armbar in-front of a packed out O2 Arena. 

It’s a disappointing defeat to McCann, who barely got a chance to show off her impressive striking ability during the bout. 

After early exchanges on the feet, Stoliarenko shot for a takedown which ‘Meatball’ wasn’t able to prevent.

When on the ground, it seemed as though the Liverpudlian had escaped the submission attempt only to find herself in a worse position.

Molly ‘Meatball’ McCann suffered a first-round defeat during UFC London’s co-main event

Julia Stoliarenko (L) locked in an armbar that had ‘Meatball’ in a world of pain in the first round

The Liverpudlian fighter barely had a chance to showcase her talents during the bout

Stoliarenko had predicted that she would win the bout via submission in the build-up

McCann swiftly tapped and looked in some discomfort on the floor as Stoliarenko paraded around the octagon in celebration. 

It’s the second time in a row that McCann has suffered a first-round submission defeat, following her loss to Erin Blanchfield in November last year.

She’s yet to win a UFC bout since her emphatic KO victory over Hannah Goldy in July last year.

McCann’s professional record now moves to 13-6 following back-to-back defeats and leaves her in a difficult position within the UFC’s flyweight division. 

Prior to McCann’s defeat, British fighters Nathaniel Wood and Paul Craig both recorded vital victories for themselves. 

Wood, fighting at featherweight, picked up a unanimous decision win over Andre Fili, while Craig – who recently dropped down to middleweight – won his fight via TKO. 

McCann’s compatriots, Jai Herbert and Davey Grant, similarly suffered defeat on the UFC London main card. 

More to follow…