Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett and ‘Meatball’ Molly McCann were both victorious on Saturday in a thrilling night of UFC at the 02 Arena.
So with both Liverpool fighters winning comfortably and their considerable stock rising, what is next for these stars?
Meatball Molly won her fight in emphatic style, knocking out her opponent with a devastating spinning elbow.
The KO was dubbed by the commentators as a ‘knockout of the year contender’.
Pimblett also won comfortably, submitting his opponent Rodrigo Vargas in the first round. Paddy’s victory sent the 02 into pandemonium.
Both Paddy and Molly, who celebrated together in the Octagon after, are born and bred in Liverpool.
They train at the Next Generation MMA gym on Kempston Street just outside the city centre.
The pair also love their football, with Paddy supporting Liverpool and Molly an Everton fan.
McCann screamed ‘Up the Toffees’ in her post fight interview, with Paddy singing “Justice for the 97” in his.
A really nice touch by Pimblett, who got the whole arena singing with him.
UFC LONDON: “He’s getting finished in the first round”, says Paddy ‘The Baddy’ Pimblett
What’s next? Pimblett has been very vocal about a major UFC night at Anfield.
When asked, he said: “It would be special, it would blow the other stadium shows out of the water.”
In a recent interview with Merseysportlive, Paddy was asked would he settle for a place on the card, and he gave an emphatic response.
“‘You’re mad aren’t you? I’m the headliner, it goes without saying.”
This would be a huge, history making event.
It would be the first ever UFC event in a British stadium, and if anyone’s going to sell out a stadium, it’s going to be Paddy the Baddy.
A natural next fight for Pimblett seems to be against Ilia Topuria, who fought earlier on the card against Jai Herbert, knocking him out in the second round.
Paddy had an altercation with Topuria in the week leading up to the fight.
And when asked about a potential bout against the German he said: “Everyone wants to fight me, nobody knew who Ilia Topuria until he tried to start an altercation with me, I’m the draw.”
In McCann’s post fight press conference, she did not name any opponents.
However, about a future fight she added: “I’ll take the Echo (arena), Goodison Park, I’ll even go to Anfield, just give me a crowd and let me walk out to Jamie Webster.”
A UFC Liverpool headlined by Pimblett and McCann is definitely a possibility.
However, the likelihood is we won’t see it for at least another year.
It’s more likely the pair will make a couple of appearances on some undercards elsewhere, although as is a common phrase within the UFC, ‘never say never.’
Dana White will have seen the reaction to and the success of the event and will have been ecstatic.
The Scousers have the potential to be some of the biggest draws in the UFC, and them seemingly coming as a pair provides a unique and refreshing element to the sport we haven’t seen before.
The future is bright for both of them.
