Liverpudlians are fortunate enough to be able to claim two of the UFC’s fastest rising stars as their own.‘Meatball’ Molly McCann and Paddy ‘the Baddy’ Pimblett once again stole the show both inside and outside the Octagon at UFC London.Emerging victorious against Hannah Goldy after a stunning first round TKO, Evertonian ‘Meatball’ Molly then pulled off another surprise behind the scenes. Grime star Stormzy is a huge fan of the English pair, but that did not stop him from receiving some rough treatment from McCann. He was visibly surprised when the 32-year-old fighter – over a foot shorter at 5’3 – picked him up without breaking sweat.McCann followed up her heavy-lifting display with a rapid flurry of shadow boxing, as Stormzy could only hold his arms aloft with amazement. LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: Paddy Pimblett celebrates with Molly Mccann after defeating Kazula Vargas during UFC Fight Night: Volkov v Aspinall at the The O2 Arena on March 19, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)The fighter seemed to surprise even herself with her exhibit of strength, asking herself; ‘How did I do that?’ whilst her entourage dissolved into delirium. With a nod to her hometown, McCann exclaimed; ‘They make us scousers different man’. This was just the latest in a stream of entertaining out-of-the-ring shenanigans which have endeared the LGBTQ advocate to the nation. ‘Meatball’ Molly, who earned her nickname by funding her fledgling fighting career by working shifts at Subway, also serenaded the London crowd with a chant of ‘f*** the Tories’.

Her charisma and quick wit are marking her apart as a fighter and a salesperson in the flyweight division, with a global audience tuning in to see what she gets up to next.

McCann’s rise up the ladder of the division may yet land her a title fight, but for now she seems happy with first round stoppages and emphatic celebrations.

However, after proving that Stormzy really is too big for his boots, the pinnacle of the UFC surely soon awaits.