Molly McCann 'on cloud nine' after UFC London victory caps remarkable turnaround

After Molly McCann span to land the crunching spinning back elbow that knocked out Luana Carolina at UFC London last week, her mouth opened in shock.

The Liverpudlian was in disbelief — not only at the stunning manner in which she had won, but also because six months earlier her UFC career could have been over.

After two successive defeats, McCann says she was told she could be cut from the promotion if she did not beat Ji Yeon Kim in September.

«I knew my career was hanging on a thread in the UFC,» McCann, 31, tells BBC Sport.

«I was basically told, 'If you win, you catapult back to where you were and if you lose we don't know where you go from here.'»

McCann did win, and following a change of mindset that rekindled her enjoyment of the sport, she was able to deliver a life-changing performance at UFC London.

«Before last September it felt like nothing good was ever going to come but, like a bus, it's steamrolled me this week,» says McCann.

«My documentary came out, I met [UFC president] Dana White, I had the best fight of my life and I've had unreal sponsorship opportunities come forward.

»I'm half-waiting for the post-fight blues to come because I'm still floating on cloud nine."

The win in London was the first clean knockout of McCann's career, with her others via decision, technical knockout or submission.

White described the victory as the «best female knockout you're likely to see» and McCann — nicknamed 'Meatball' — says that meant a lot to her.

She says: «We'd never really spoken before this week, and on the Thursday night I said: 'See these hands, lad — they're going to light up the O2 on Saturday.'

»When I won, I jumped out and ran up to him to say: 'I told you, I told you!'"

Like team-mate Paddy Pimblett, who also won