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

UFC stars Paddy Pimblett and Molly McCann person been fixed their ain bid and it is conscionable arsenic explosive arsenic you would imagine.

The champion friends, who train astatine Next Generation MMA Liverpool, person go monolithic draws since joining nan UFC – because of their talents, but besides their immense characters.

In 2019, erstwhile Cage Warriors flyweight champion McCann hit Priscila Cachoeira to go the first English female to triumph successful nan UFC. She has a master grounds of 14 wins and six losses.

Lightweight Pimblett, meanwhile, who antecedently held nan Cage Warriors flyweight belt, has won each 5 of his UFC bouts since joining nan section successful 2021.

The eight-part bid follows some fighters astatine location and successful nan gym. As Pimblett prepares to go a father, we find retired really injuries impact his intelligence wellness and spot conscionable really overmuch he eats erstwhile not successful training camp.

Meanwhile, McCann is honorable astir suffering imposter syndrome pursuing 2 consecutive losses and shares nan dilemmas of being a combatant entering perchance nan twilight of her profession who wants to commencement a family.

The bid is besides a emotion missive to Liverpool and what it intends for Pimblett and McCann to beryllium scousers, which they picture arsenic "boss".

Here are conscionable a fewer takeaways.

Pimblett says successful section 1 that being injured is "the worst imaginable point that tin hap to a master athlete".

Following a unanimous triumph complete Jared Gordon successful December 2022, the 29-year-old had to acquisition 3 surgeries to repair ankle ligament damage.

He says that being "couch-bound for months" near him "a small spot depressed".

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

In section four, Pimblett visits a intelligence wellness kindness and reveals really he has sought thief during reliable periods.

"People look astatine maine and think, 'oh he’s a fighter, he doesn’t request to speak to people’," says nan Liverpudlian, adding, "I request to speak to group sometimes."

The bid was filmed earlier 'Meatball' McCann’s 2nd conflict against Diana Belbita successful Las Vegas successful February, which she won pinch a convincing first-round submission.

The Liverpudlian came into nan conflict disconnected nan backmost of two consecutive losses. She is honorable during nan bid astir really heavy those defeats weighed upon her mind.

In section three, nan 34-year-old says she feels for illustration a fraud and "not worthy" of her spot successful nan UFC.

She explains that she has "always looked for acceptance done winning" and recovered it very difficult to publication abusive comments online pursuing her nonaccomplishment to Erin Blanchfield successful November 2022.

"You’d deliberation that I’d conscionable murdered someone," says McCann, adding, "when you consciousness for illustration you conflict for nan group and past nan group move and move up connected you, it’s tough."

Pimblett’s woman Laura gave commencement to copy girls successful April.

"Paddy nan daddy thinks it’s going to beryllium a breeze," she says successful section two, adding, "I’m hoping he matures erstwhile nan babies get here."

Pimblett, meantime jokes astir wanting a son, saying "you can’t beryllium nan King of nan North and not transportation connected nan family name."

In section eight, McCann visits a fertility session pinch her partner and nan combatant discusses nan difficulties of family planning.

"I deliberation it’s nan hardest determination that immoderate female who has a profession has to make," says nan 34-year-old, adding, "what do I sacrifice – my fulfilment and my happiness pinch having a kid and a family aliases my fulfilment and happiness astir trying to person a successful career?".

McCann and Pimblett will some conflict astatine UFC 304 successful Manchester connected 27 July. In her 2nd conflict astatine strawweight, McCann will look Bruna Brasil, while Pimblett will conflict Bobby Green astatine lightweight.

Pimblett's emotion of nutrient is good documented. After beating Rodrigo Vargas successful successful March 2022, he ate 11,000 calories successful 1 day.

Throughout nan series, we get an penetration into nan flyweight's eating habits, peculiarly successful nan aftermath of a triumph complete Tony Ferguson successful December 2023.

On returning location from that bout, he tells McCann that he demolished outpouring rolls, chickenhearted wings, brackish and capsicum chips and 3 desserts successful 1 sitting earlier eating 2 bowls of cereal.

In different segment Pimblett says, "it’s for illustration there’s different small personification wrong of maine that conscionable keeps eating."

McCann compares her champion friend to a "wheelie bin," while his woman Laura says it's a "close contest" arsenic to whether Pimblett is amended astatine fighting aliases eating.