LIVERPOOL, England – Molly McCann is sure that she will get a little jelly-legged when her name is called to walk out to her home fans at Liverpool’s Echo Arena on Sunday.

But, other than that, McCann says there are no jitters or nerves ahead of her UFC debut. If anything, having gone from a title-winning headliner with Cage Warriors to being on UFC Fight Night 130’s FS1-televised preliminary card, McCann (7-1 MMA, 0-0 UFC) thinks American Top Team’s Gillian Robertson (4-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) might have it worse ahead of the flyweight bout.

“Going from the headliner to the undercard, it’s not so bad,” McCann told MMAjunkie. “The pressure is not on me to succeed. She’s probably got more pressure on her coming from the camp she’s from. I’m a debutant, it is no stress.

“… All feels natural. Nothing’s forced. It’s all organic and it’s like it was written in the stars for this to happen for me. Perfect timing. And I just can’t wait to put a performance on for my city.”

The Cage Warriors flyweight champ might be a UFC debutant, but she is no stranger to the local sports fans. That much was apparent during the crowded open workouts that the UFC hosted on Thursday, ahead of its first Liverpudlian outing.

While headliner and fellow Scouser Darren Till got a lot of support from the estimated 2,000 fans there, McCann got arguably an even louder pop. And while that may be surprising for those who aren’t familiar with the local scene, McCann has an explanation for that.

“Darren’s uprising was in Brazil for a big part of it,” McCann said. “So I think his Brazilian following is massive. His following around the world is – Darren has like the boys following him. And I’m a different entity altogether. I’ve got the kids. I’ve got the women.

“I’m just different. And in no better or no worse way, but people take to me in a different way to Darren.”

What both have in common, though, is the fact that they’ll always take the time to repay the support they get from fans. And that just goes to illustrate the strong bond involving the city, its athletes and those who cheer for them.

As for what, exactly, makes the Liverpool crowd so special?

Well, it’s the type of energy and warmth that you’re going to have to see – or, better yet, feel – for yourselves on Sunday. But, even if McCann can’t describe it exactly, she’ll kindly give it a go.

“All everyone’s got money is go to the pub and sit with the mates and go back to the house and have a little party and listen to the music, “McCann said. “And if one of us wins, we all win and you’ve got that bragging rights. It’s kind of like Cleveland, or Boston or maybe like Las Vegas in the fact of, it’s such a sporting city.

“I suppose people who don’t have a lot live through the fighter or live through the sportsperson, because we live for the city. If you look at my ankle, I’ve got my city tattooed around my ankle. How passionate is Darren about Liverpool? We are passionate about this place and it exudes everywhere. You must feel how proud we are to be Scouse.”

Not only does McCann have the crowd support going into this one; she has some serious momentum, as well. Before beating Bryony Tyrell to take Cage Warriors’ 125-pound crown, she’d lined up five opponents in a row. McCann’s sole pro loss, to Vanessa Melo, came in the single fight she had outside of the U.K.

Taking it all into account, McCann finds it hard for Robertson to be able to take this win from her. Sure, she acknowledges, Robertson is no “roll-over.” And getting back up should she get taken down by the Canadian, McCann reasons, probably wouldn’t be easy.

But if McCann gets it her way?

“She stands up, she’s f-cked,” McCann said. “If it stays – or it will stay standing, she hasn’t got a chance in hell to cope with what I’ve got. My footwork is far more superior than hers. Her competition jiu-jitsu is better than mine. Is her combat jiu-jitsu better than mine? I’m not so sure. I’m yet to be finished.

“It’s going to take something special to come into my city when. I’ve got all of that going on, to come and beat me. We were just talking about, ‘Would you ever tap if you were in a situation to tap? My coach is, ‘You don’t (expletive) tap, because you’ve got insurance.’ Even if my arm is hyper-extended, I’m not going out like that.”

If – or, in her words, “when” – McCann wins this, though, she believes a statement will be out to the UFC’s 125-pound division. And she intends to make it a loud one.

“I know it’s not going to be full to capacity when I’m on,” McCann said. “But it will be rocking and it will be shaking and I know I’m going to get the finish. End of the first or, if I need a little bit more time, the second, because I don’t want to rush it. But I most definitely see a finish via strikes.”

To hear from McCann, check out the video above.

And for complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 130, check out the UFC Events section of the site.