In the world of combat sports, a fighter’s background often intrigues fans just as much as their performances. With the rise in popularity of the UFC and the diversity of its roster, fans are also eager to learn more about their favorite mixed martial artist. The roster is filled with some of the most interesting characters in all of combat sports, with Molly McCann being one of them. The strawweight star is making a comeback this weekend at UFC Fight Night 255, so let’s dive deeper into ‘Meatball’s life.

With a 14-7 record, Molly McCann has pretty much established herself as an established player of the game, but do you know where he hails from? In light of her upcoming fight against debutant Alexia Thainara in sight, here’s what we know about ‘Meatball’ McCann.

Is Molly McCann from Ireland? Ethnicity and nationality

Molly McCann is a Scouser, and Scousers, according to Paddy Pimblett, “don’t get knocked out.” But jokes apart, a significant portion of the strawweight star’s early life was spent with her grandmother, who raised her due to her father’s absence. McCann grew up in the Norris Green area in the city known for being the birthplace of ‘The Beatles.’ She started training in combat sports with karate, kickboxing, and Thai boxing before starting to focus only on boxing when she was around 12 years old.

While her nationality is English, Molly McCann also has Irish ancestry, as 3 of her grandparents hailed from Ireland. Interestingly, she is also related to Irish Olympic gold medalist boxer Katie Taylor, as they both share a grandfather. Now, let’s take a different route, and unveil the information related to McCann’s faith and religion. Here’s what we know!

Which religion does Molly McCann follow?

Well, Molly McCann has never opened up publicly about which religion she practices, but sources claim that she grew up in a devout Christian family. She had a Catholic upbringing, but that’s the end of the details available on this front. Meanwhile, McCann was born to a mother, Sharon, and a father, whose identity isn’t available since he had remained absent from her life.

Her mother has also dealt with substance abuse issues in the past, but in April 2020, McCann took to Instagram to share that, “Today my mum’s 22 years clean and serene. Happy clean time, mum! No better feeling than going to a NA convention and then doing the countdown, and you’re always one of the last standing! Words can’t describe how proud you make me mum!”

Things have turned around for Molly McCann from a personal standpoint, but in the meantime, there’s one more question that fans might have about the UFC strawweight star. Is there any personal connection between Paddy Pimblett and McCann? Let’s take a look.

Is Molly McCann related to Paddy Pimblett?

Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann aren’t related, but they are very close friends and die-hard supporters of one another. The Liverpool natives train together out of the ‘Next Generation MMA Gym’. According to a report by The Guardian, Pimblett has called McCann his “big sister” while McCann shared, “You’ll never meet another Patrick Pimblett or Molly McCann.”

“I don’t know if it’s because I’m a girl and he’s a boy, but we push each other to be better versions of ourselves and don’t envy each other’s success,” Molly McCann further stated. She and Pimblett have always been supporting each other in the UFC, and ‘The Baddy’ will surely be rooting for ‘Meatball’ to seal the win at UFC London and get back in the winning column.

Molly McCann’s upcoming fight has a lot riding on it. Her ascension in the rankings might start after a win this weekend. In the meantime, let us know your thoughts on McCann’s roots and background in the comments down below.