UFC Fight Island: Molly McCann loses to Taila Santos

Taila Santos and Molly McCann in actionGetty Images

Molly McCann (right) suffered her second loss in the UFC

By Nick Peet
MMA writer

British UFC fighter Molly McCann says she will "hold her head high" following her unanimous decision defeat by Taila Santos on 'Fight Island' in Abu Dhabi.

Brazilian Santos won the flyweight contest with scores of 30-27 30-27 30-27 from the three judges to secure her first UFC victory.

McCann, 30, had hoped to become the first English woman to win via stoppage but now has two UFC losses to her name.

"I'm devastated, but I'll be back," the Liverpool fighter told BBC Sport.

"I just fought the strongest opponent I've ever faced over three rounds. I've not felt that kind of body strength in a female fighter before.

"But I'll hold my head high. I was the first to congratulate her backstage."

McCann, who suffered the third defeat of her career, came into the contest on a three-fight winning streak, but struggled to cope with the rangy striking and smothering ground game of her 27-year-old rival.

Wednesday's event was the second to take place on Yas Island in Abu Dhabi, which has has been transformed into a closed-off fight zone able to stage four UFC events this month.

McCann's defeat on the main card capped a mixed night for Britons. While team-mate Chris Fishgold and John Phillips both lost, Jack Shore, Lerone Murphy and Modestas Bukauskas celebrated breakout moments in their careers.

Shore - once tipped as the "hottest prospect out of the UK" by UFC president Dana White - extended his unbeaten record to 13-0 with a second UFC victory and another rear naked choke, after he dominated American Aaron Phillips for the whole of their seven and a half minutes inside the Octagon.

Lithuania-born Bukauskas scored a sensational but bizarre stoppage win when opponent Andreas Michailidis fell backwards through the cage door at the end of a series of elbow strikes on the buzzer in round one.

The Greek fighter's fall, on his Octagon debut, gave the referee no option but to halt the action.

However, Murphy was the pick of the British pack with his clinical knockout of Brazilian Ricardo Ramos.

After a split draw against Russian Zubaira Tukhugov on his UFC debut in September, Murphy - who was shot twice in the face in his adolescence before finding martial arts - ducked beautifully under a spinning elbow attack to land a wave of right hooks to force his £50,000 bonus cheque finish.