March 20, 2025 6: 30 pm ET
LONDON – Alexia Thainara had to make some compromises on her ideal scenario, but overall she couldn’t ask for much more for a UFC debut.
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, Thainara (11-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) makes her promotional debut Saturday at UFC Fight Night 255 at The O2 (ESPN+) when she takes on fan favorite Molly McCann (14-7 MMA, 7-6 UFC) in a strawweight bout.
Thainara steps in as a late replacement for Istela Nunes on just eight days’ notice, and although a full training camp would’ve been preferred, she feels ready for this moment.
“I’m really happy to be here, and we accepted this fight on Friday. which is probably the last day we could’ve done that,” Thainara told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC Fight Night 255 media day. “But I was prepared. My master always says that fighters need to stay prepare