Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan II - Molly McCann 'right at home' amid return to boxing first love

Molly McCann has a plate of food wrapped in tin foil balanced on her knee, paper cardboard precariously held as she gesticulates across several rows of a conference room.

The average person may regard such deftness with mind-boggling awe - certainly, if you're accustomed to shattering mugs on a semi-regular basis, it appears superhuman.

But to the Merseyside fighter, she barely gives it a second thought. McCann's mind is focused solely on this coming weekend, and a return to what she considers her first love.

"MMA gave me the world, but I felt like I was cheating on boxing," she tells DAZN News. "But I feel right at home here, I feel very much at ease. It kind of feels like Christmas."

For the past decade, the thirty-five-year-old has been one of the most bankable British athletes in mixed martial arts, a UFC star who has helped break boundaries in the cage.

Now however, she is ready for a new challenge - slimming her repertoire of Olympic-level disciplines to just one, and turning her hand to the pursuit of professional boxing.

Today, McCann will make her debut in the ring as part of the undercard for Lewis Crocker and Paddy Donovan's blockbuster rematch at Windsor Park, live globally on DAZN.

Just a relatively short hop away from home across the Irish Sea, the star is no stranger to these shores, and admits that she is relishing the chance to make her bow here.

Mark Robinson / Matchroom Boxing

"I've done quite a few camps in Belfast and in Dublin," she adds. "I've family from both sides of the border, so it's nice to be in the motherland. I've got a loyal fanbase out here.

"It takes the pressure off. I'm fighting an Irish opponent, but I think I might have more people behind me. Fans don't matter in the grand scheme of things when you're in the ring.

She chuckles. "But it's nice to walk out and not get booed. There's probably a few Rangers fans who can't stand me! No-one wants to fight me - it's the story of my life!"

McCann has found an opponent, in seasoned Waterford-based fighter Kate Radomska. Her opponent may not be a household name, but the star still sees her as a tough foe.

"I've seen her fight, and I'm impressed," she adds. "She's fought everyone. There's not many girls who get in there and get amongst it. We'll bring the best out of each other."

McCann is one of the older stars on a card toplined by two men arguably still to reach the peak of their powers, and she admits that the wear-and-tear is starting to show.

But at the same time, nor is the move to boxing an easy ride either, offering a determination to ensure that she continues to pursue her passions for the right reasons.

"I think women tend to hit our peak later as we don't get started until later," she muses. "I didn't start until I was twenty-four, That's a positive. It's definitely a little more relaxed.

"It's not as harsh, I think. There's a lot more to do in MMA, there's a lot more people who promote it. But I just knew my body couldn't contend with MMA anymore.

"I don't feel you should fight for money, and that would have been what it was if I couldn't make it as a world champion again. Why would I do it?

"I thought I would do something where at least I could control the environment a little more, control the impact on the body and control the fight game."

McCann's decision to sign with Matchroom proved straightforward by her own admission, stating that Eddie Hearn "has a clear vision [...] he executes it well" on her move.

But has the physical transition been a harder affair than putting pen to paper on the contracts? She does not think so, and believes her MMA background aids her well.

"The transition has been quite easy," she considers. "Having to do four Olympic disciplines on the spot, you have to be able to read movements, to plan and assess.

"You have to have an answer for questions in the ring. In boxing, you've only got one kind of problem to deal with. It's easier in ways.

"You can read it and adapt. That's the easier part. The harder part is that they're more versed in that one skill. But I'm just excited to get in there."

With that, she's on her way, plate in hand. But before she goes, there's time for one last question - as a die-hard Everton fan, is she nervous for the Merseyside derby?

"Always!" she laughs. "Evertonians are delusional. It's our greatest gift. We think we're going to smash them. But you can't live in faith and fear. We've got Jack Grealish's calves!"

Matchroom Boxing

Watch Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan II on DAZN

Watch Lewis Crocker vs Paddy Donovan II, plus the whole undercard from Belfast's Windsor Park, with a DAZN subscription this September.

For more information on how to sign up, click here.