In March 2019, Molly McCann made history.
The Liverpudlian's unanimous points win over Priscila Cachoeira in London was a landmark night not just for herself, but her country, as she became the first English female fighter to win in the UFC.
Bigger nights have since come and gone, with a two-fight losing streak ended emphatically in Las Vegas last September when she defeated Ji Yeon Kim. She was later awarded Fight of the Night - and a £50k bonus which arguably resurrected her career.
McCann, however, had already overcome her biggest hurdle long before she was signed up by Dana White.
The fighter known as 'Meatball' came out as gay six years ago. Prior to that, by her own admission, she had 'ran from' her sexuality, with the notions of public perception and a Catholic background deterring her from being true to herself.
Current focus is primarily on her clash with Luana Carolina on March 19 at UFC Fight Night 204, as McCann builds towards her ultimate goal of becoming flyweight world champion.
Prior to that however, BT Sport will premiere Meatball Molly , a tell-all documentary about the star that details not just her rise in MMA, but the adversity she faces along the way.
The programme outlines the discrimination McCann has not only previously faced, but continues to battle.
"When I was younger I wouldn't even entertain being gay because society wouldn't like it," she said.
"Look I'm 31 now, I came out when I was 25, imagine what it was like when I was 10.
"Religion wouldn't let you. My religion wouldn't let me. Until I found MMA and had a safe space to be me, then I could be like 'I'm Meatball now.'
"Imagine how hard it still is for some people to come out now though. I'm from a lucky generation as well, imagine the generation before me and the one before that. In the 1960s when the stonewall riots happened - it was illegal to be gay."
McCann, a former Cage Warriors flyweight champion, also praised the UFC for embracing fighters of all backgrounds.
"I think the promotion that I work for champions equality which helps now," she added.
"There are females fighting the same amount of rounds, and the same amount of minutes, as men. They celebrate a man or a woman.
"Obviously no male has come out in the company yet but for Gay Pride week, they made everyone's fight in rainbow fights.
"And they put so much money towards LGBTQ plus charities."
However, whilst McCann is now at ease with her personal life, tellingly, there are still those in society that aren't.
"It does state in the documentary that sometimes, even now, when I'm walking down the street holding my girlfriend’s hand and have got people looking at me like a piece of s**t, do you think thats an easy thing to do?" she continued.
"It's just not fair but I don't moan about it, I just get on with it."
McCann takes on Carolina on a card headlined by Tom Aspinall's heavyweight bout against veteran Alexander Volkov - which also includes her Next Generation MMA team-mate and close friend Paddy 'The Baddy' Pimblett.
BT Sport will premiere Meatball Molly, the latest documentary from BT Sport Films, on BT Sport 2 on Tuesday 15 March at 10:30pm and is available to watch via the BT Sport website and App thereafter.
