Pimblett and McCann series: injuries, weight-cuts and being proud scousers

UFC stars Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann have been given their own series and it is just as explosive as you would imagine.

The best friends, who train at Next Generation MMA Liverpool, have become massive draws since joining the UFC – because of their talents, but also their huge characters.

In 2019, former Cage Warriors flyweight champion McCann beat Priscila Cachoeira to become the first English woman to win in the UFC. She has a professional record of 14 wins and six losses.

Lightweight Pimblett, meanwhile, who previously held the Cage Warriors flyweight belt, has won all five of his UFC bouts since joining the division in 2021.

The eight-part series follows both fighters at home and in the gym. As Pimblett prepares to become a father, we find out how injuries affect his mental health and see just how much he eats when not in training camp.

Meanwhile, McCann is honest about suffering imposter syndrome following two consecutive losses and shares the dilemmas of being a fighter entering possibly the twilight of her career who wants to start a family.

The series is also a love letter to Liverpool and what it means for Pimblett and McCann to be scousers, which they describe as "boss".

Here are just a few takeaways.

Pimblett says in episode one that being injured is "the worst possible thing that can happen to a professional athlete".

Following a unanimous win over Jared Gordon in December 2022, the 29-year-old had to undergo three surgeries to repair ankle ligament damage.

He says that being "couch-bound for months" left him "a little bit depressed".

"When you’re injured, you’re not really Paddy the Baddy, you’re Paddy the Saddy," quips the lightweight.

In episode four, Pimblett visits a mental health charity and reveals how he has sought help during tough periods.

"People look at me and think, 'oh he’s a fighter, he doesn’t need to speak to people’," says the Liverpudlian, adding, "I need to speak to people sometimes."

The series was filmed before 'Meatball' McCann’s second fight against Diana Belbita in Las Vegas in February, which she won with a convincing first-round submission.

The Liverpudlian came into the fight off the back of two consecutive losses. She is honest during the series about how heavily those defeats weighed upon her mind.

In episode three, the 34-year-old says she feels like a fraud and "not worthy" of her place in the UFC.

She explains that she has "always looked for acceptance through winning" and found it very difficult to read abusive comments online following her loss to Erin Blanchfield in November 2022.

"You’d think that I’d just murdered someone," says McCann, adding, "when you feel like you fight for the people and then the people turn and switch up on you, it’s tough."

Pimblett’s wife Laura gave birth to twin girls in April.

"Paddy the daddy thinks it’s going to be a breeze," she says in episode two, adding, "I’m hoping he matures when the babies get here."

Pimblett, meanwhile jokes about wanting a son, saying "you can’t be the King of the North and not carry on the family name."

In episode eight, McCann visits a fertility clinic with her partner and the fighter discusses the difficulties of family planning.

"I think it’s the hardest decision that any female who has a career has to make," says the 34-year-old, adding, "what do I sacrifice – my fulfilment and my happiness with having a child and a family or my fulfilment and happiness about trying to have a successful career?".

McCann and Pimblett will both fight at UFC 304 in Manchester on 27 July. In her second fight at strawweight, McCann will face Bruna Brasil, while Pimblett will fight Bobby Green at lightweight.

Pimblett's love of food is well documented. After beating Rodrigo Vargas in in March 2022, he ate 11,000 calories in one day.

Throughout the series, we get an insight into the flyweight's eating habits, particularly in the aftermath of a win over Tony Ferguson in December 2023.

On returning home from that bout, he tells McCann that he demolished spring rolls, chicken wings, salt and pepper chips and three desserts in one sitting before eating two bowls of cereal.

In another scene Pimblett says, "it’s like there’s another little person inside of me that just keeps eating."

McCann compares her best friend to a "wheelie bin," while his wife Laura says it's a "close contest" as to whether Pimblett is better at fighting or eating.