Who Is Ebonie Cotton? Molly McCann’s Next Boxing Opponent
Molly McCann faces Ebonie Cotton on Saturday, November 29, 2025 at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The fight will be aired on DAZN, with coverage beginning at 7pm GMT and ringwalks expected at 7:10pm GMT. Who is Ebonie Cotton?
The fight card arrives with Molly McCann carrying significant momentum from her professional boxing debut. The Liverpool fighter stopped Kate Radomska in the sixth round on September 13, 2025, at Windsor Park in Belfast, forcing a corner stoppage with her powerful right hand. It marks only her second professional outing, yet she steps into the ring as a 1/11 favorite to defeat Ebonie Cotton. Cotton, by contrast, enters at 5/1 odds to secure victory.
Who is Ebonie Cotton?
Ebonie Cotton presents a fascinating backstory that has caught the boxing world’s attention. The 31-year-old fighter from Rowley Regis, West Midlands, began her athletic journey as an Irish dancer from age four, traveling globally and competing at an elite level before stepping back from the sport at seventeen. She later worked as a professional dancer and model while building a marketing company in Australia, spending time in Sydney, Tasmania, Greece, and Singapore.
Her path to boxing was unconventional. Cotton struggled with depression and challenges in her personal life, an experience she credits to what prompted her pursuit of the sport. In interviews, she has spoken candidly about her mental health journey.
“I truly believe that boxing saved my life. I mean that in so many aspects. It allowed me to find peace. It gave me a structure and focus. It created a purpose for me.” She returned to the UK with a fresh mindset, initially training as a trainee firefighter before her fight opportunity with McCann emerged, which allowed her to push back her start date with the fire service to pursue boxing full-time.
Cotton turned professional in 2025 and made her debut in June with a four-round points victory over Kira Carter at Aldersley Stadium in Wolverhampton. She weighed in at 123 pounds for that debut, slightly above the super-bantamweight limit. Her professional record stands at 1-0, with her weigh-in for the McCann bout showing 120.9 pounds, a more composed weight management effort compared to her debut.
Boxing Molly McCann
This six-round super-bantamweight contest carries implications for both fighters. For McCann, the fight represents an opportunity to maintain her undefeated boxing record and build toward the world title opportunities she has set as her goal. The former UFC star has expressed ambitions of winning a world title within eight professional fights, placing considerable importance on continuing her winning trajectory.
Cotton’s situation differs markedly. At just one fight into her professional career, she faces an experienced competitor who brings not only MMA credibility but demonstrated knockout power. The power and experience advantage appears substantial on paper.
Yet Cotton has signaled confidence in her boxing abilities, telling media that while she respects McCann’s MMA background, boxing is her sport. In the pre-fight build-up, the two fighters squared off at weigh-ins, and Cotton’s story, from dancer to marketing entrepreneur to boxer, has generated notable social media attention in the UK boxing community.
McCann herself noted before the fight: “Past accomplishments don’t mean anything in this sport. You never look past a fighter who fights a fight.” Cotton represents a genuine unknown quantity on a televised undercard, and overconfidence has derailed many fighters with more accomplished records.
Molly McCann’s MMA and UFC Career
McCann’s fighting journey spans over a decade in mixed martial arts. Born in Liverpool on May 4, 1990, she earned her “Meatball Molly” nickname during her early years supporting herself by working at Subway while pursuing MMA. She built her record on the regional circuit, winning the Shock N’ Awe Flyweight Championship and later capturing the Cage Warriors Women’s Flyweight Championship in 2018 against Bryony Tyrell.
McCann made her UFC debut on May 27, 2018, and competed across flyweight and strawweight divisions during her seven-year tenure in the promotion. Her UFC record finished at 7-6, with notable victories over opponents including Diana Belbita (twice), Hannah Goldy, Luana Carolina, and Ji Yeon Kim. She retired from MMA in March 2025 following a loss to Alexia Thainara and has since transitioned fully to professional boxing.
Saturday’s bout will serve as an early indicator of McCann’s viability as a serious boxing competitor and whether her transition from MMA translates into sustained success at the professional level. The odds heavily favor McCann, but Cotton’s unconventional path and demonstrated mental fortitude suggest she won’t enter the ring as a mere sparring partner. Both fighters have something to prove.
