"Looking like prime Khabib wtf" - Fans react as Molly McCann sends Diana Belbita screaming with "nasty" Round 1 armbar

Fans compared Molly McCann to Khabib Nurmagomedov as she secured the first submission win of her career over Diana Belbita after dominating her for the biggest part of the fight.

McCann took on Belbita in the featured prelim bout of the UFC Vegas 85 event that took place on Feb. 3, 2024. The fight marked her strawweight debut and it was a rematch of their first meeting that took place in October 2019. McCann won the first fight via unanimous decision.

The English MMA star gained popularity with knockout wins in recent years. But she displayed improved grappling skills at UFC Vegas 85.

After slamming Belbita on the canvas with a high crotch, McCann secured a mount and rained down strikes to open an opportunity. She aggressively pursued an armbar and got a tap from Belbita as she screamed in pain.

Watch the finishing sequence below:

MMA fans shared their reaction to McCann's dominant win:

Fan reactions to McCann's submission victory

McCann lost to Erin Blanchfield and Julija Stoliarenko via first-round submissions before the Belbita rematch. Her grappling skills were heavily criticized in the aftermath of the fights. With the win over Belbita, 'Meatball' has improved her professional MMA record to 14-6 with 6 knockouts and 1 submission.

Reacting to the outcome, McCann stated:

"Everyone who's on that journey and you don't get the results they want, persevere kids! Work hard, keep your head down."

Watch McCann express her thoughts below:

'Meatball' is currently unranked in the UFC strawweight division. She has won four of her six most recent fights, defeating the likes of Hannah Goldy, Luana Carolina, and Kim-Ji Yeon in the process.

McCann's impressive armbar win over Belbita with one second left in the first round was reminiscent of Matt Hughes' triumph over George St-Pierre back in 2004.