Soccer icon Wayne Rooney reacts as Paddy Pimblett pens touching message to "big sister" Molly McCann following her retirement

Paddy Pimblett was in attendance at UFC London to watch Molly McCann's final UFC outing. McCann retired after her first-round submission loss to Alexia Thainara, and Pimblett subsequently took to social media to share an emotional post for his teammate, drawing a reaction from soccer legend Wayne Rooney.

McCann joined the UFC back in 2018, picking up seven wins along the way. She became a fan favorite in the second half of her UFC tenure, but after losing four of her last five bouts, the staunch Everton FC supporter decided to call it quits. Pimblett was in tears cage-side while 'Meatball' announced her retirement, and their close bond was reflected in UFC lightweight's post on Instagram.

The caption of Pimblett's post read:

"Heartbreaking night last night watching my big sister retire. Been there with her from the start and will always be there this may be the end of her fighting career but it’s far from the end of mine and her friendship. That’s till death do us part ❤️ UKMMA women’s legend first English woman to get a win in the UFC and has one of the best knockouts in women’s UFC and combat sports history her legacy will live on forever👌🏻emotional isn’t even the word for last night but even when I was crying the meatball will never fail to make me laugh when she said “haven’t done bad for a lesbo who was working in Subway have I” 🤣🤣🤣 love u @meatballmolly and always will me big sis 🤗😘❤️"

Rooney then commented on the post with a series of emojis to show his support for his fellow Liverpool native.

Check out Wayne Rooney's reaction to Paddy Pimblett's post below:

Screenshot of Wayne Rooney's reaction to Paddy Pimblett's post. [Screenshot courtesy: @theufcbaddy on Instagram]

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Former UFC champion backs Paddy Pimblett to shine against Michael Chandler

Paddy Pimblett is undefeated in the UFC and is set to face Michael Chandler at UFC 314 next month. Pimblett is known for his submission prowess, evidenced by his last fight against King Green, wherein he became the first to submit the American veteran in the promotion.

Meanwhile, Chandler's strengths are his wrestling and heavy hands, making for an intriguing matchup. Many have questioned whether Pimblett's questionable striking defense will hold up against the former Bellator champion's renowned power and aggression.

Aljamain Sterling has now weighed in on the matchup, picking 'The Baddy' to come out on top:

"Call me crazy, but I think this is a tailor-made matchup stylistically for Paddy Pimblett to win and to get ranked—really get ranked high. His grappling. His grappling is very, very underrated."

Check out Aljamain Sterling's comments below: