Alexia Thainara sends message to Molly McCann ahead of UFC London: ‘Tap or sleep’

Alexia Thainara wants to spoil the English party Saturday night and debut with the right foot in the octagon by beating Molly McCann at UFC London.

“Burguesinha” finished a training session last Friday in Varginha, Brazil, when the phone rang. Her manager called team leader Marcelo Ribas to check if the Contender Series veteran was ready to take a fight on short notice.

“Of course,” Ribas responded right away. “She’s ready.”

A few minutes later, her manager called back to inform her the fight was on. Thainara had two days to leave Varginha for Sao Paulo and then embark on a long flight to London, all that with seven pounds to cut in just a week.

“We were expecting a high-profile fight already because there were seven months since the Contender,” Thainara told MMA Fighting. “It’s a good fight, a tough fight, and that’s because they saw I was a tough fighter. I’m a well-rounded athlete and they obviously wouldn’t give me a half-ass fight. It’s a fight for us to put on a show.”

Thainara beat former teammate Rose Conceicao on The Contender Series to go 11-1 as a professional and earn a contract with the UFC.

Meanwhile, the fight at UFC London is McCann’s 14th octagon appearance, having won seven of those. “Meatball” has the edge in terms of experience, but Thainara sees herself a step ahead in other areas of the game.

“[I beat her] with my best, my heart, by going forward and being aggressive and versatile,” Thainara said. “Don’t let her use her boxing, which is her best. That’s all she shows in her fights, really.”

“And we have the [jiu-jitsu] background, right? Five submissions in a row. Tap or sleep.”

Thainara had a good run on the Brazilian circuit before earning her UFC contract. In fact, the five straight submissions happened between 2021 and 2023, a run that included a pair of eight-second finishes. She wasn’t competing against the elite of the sport at that stage — both opponents were 0-1 as professionals —, but “Burguesinha” sees UFC London as her coming out party.

“I’m still unknown in the UFC,” Thainara said. “But I’m sure this opportunity will make me known by the entire world because not every person takes a fight on seven days’ notice. That only shows that our team is ready.”