Molly McCann set to return against Ashlee Evans-Smith at UFC London

Molly McCann is set to return to the Octagon once again at UFC London in 2020, as she prepares to square off against Ashlee Evans-Smith at the O2 Arena on March 21.

The news was broken by Jim Edwards last night. This will mark the continuation of a busy period for “Meatball” who will be taking part in her fourth fight in a little over twelve months, having gone 3-0 in 2019.

Evans-Smith will see this as something of a do-or-die for her tenure in the Ultimate Fighting Championship, with her overall record in the promotion being 3-4.

⚡️BREAKING – #UFCLondon

Per sources, Ashlee Evans-Smith (6-4) will take on Molly McCann (10-2) in a big fight at 125-pounds.

This will be McCann’s third fight on U.K. soil in the UFC. This will Evans-Smith second fight in Europe having fought previously in Hamburg. pic.twitter.com/XDtBr1jObq

— Jim (@MMA_Jim) December 4, 2019

This is a big fight at 125 pounds for a multitude of reasons, not least of which because McCann seems to be building up some real momentum for herself in the division. The popular Scouser lost her debut in the Octagon back at UFC Liverpool last year, but that certainly hasn’t thrown her off the scent — and at this stage, it seems like just a matter of time before she inserts herself into the top 15 rankings at flyweight.

The women’s landscape of mixed martial arts at the highest level has long since needed another popular star to emerge up through the ranks, especially in a division so light with Valentina Shevchenko knocking contenders back down to size at the first available opportunity.

Evans-Smith has some notable wins on her record but nothing that has really allowed her to stand out above the rest. There are certain steps that need to be taken in order to be successful at this level, and she has yet to do so.

UFC London is shaping up to be an intriguing card with several big names within the UK MMA scene already being heavily linked with the card, including Darren Till and Leon Edwards.

This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 12/5/2019.