Molly McCann has lost to Erin Blanchfield at UFC 281.

Molly McCann took the fight on short notice, but she was not able to overcome Blanchfield. McCann showed a lot of heart in the fight, but Blanchfield was simply too much for her. This is a huge win for Blanchfield, and it will be interesting to see where she goes from here.

The Liverpudlian had been on the back foot in the early stages, with Blanchfield landing some good shots. But McCann bounced back and took control of the fight in the second round, only for her American opponent to land a big shot in the third and finish the contest.

It was a disappointing end to the night for McCann, who had been one of the stories of UFC’s return to action in recent months. The 32-year-old had won her first two UFC fights in impressive fashion, earning a performance of the night bonus in her last outing against Diana Belbita. But she came up against a tough opponent in Blanchfield, who moves to 3-1 in the UFC with the win.

Despite the partisan crowd, Blanchfield was able to get the better of McCann on the feet, utilizing her reach advantage to keep the Englishwoman at bay. Whenever McCann would close the distance, Blanchfield would countered with sharp elbows that kept her opponent off balance.

In the second round, Blanchfield landed a high kick that wobbled McCann. The American followed up with a barrage of punches that put her opponent down for the count. This is a huge win for Blanchfield, who cemented her status as one of the top female flyweights in the UFC. She will be one to watch in the division moving forward.

Molly showed tremendous heart and fought her way out of the dangerous position, but Blanchfield was relentless with her pressure and took Molly down again. This time, Blanchfield was able to take Molly’s back and sink in the rear-naked choke for the finish.