Molly McCann made her name in the helter-skelter world of Mixed Martial Arts. But although the popular Liverpudlian is looking forward to making a belated debut in the more “composed” sport of professional boxing, the 35-year-old isn’t ignorant to the dangers of her new profession.

Rather than having to worry about the eight weapons of Muay Thai, wrestling and submission grappling, McCann will only have to defend herself against Kate Radomska’s fists this weekend. Still, she knows that the boxing ring can be an even more unforgiving place than the octagon.

An MMA fight offers a wide range of dangers but it also provides options. Unless they make a catastrophic mistake, an accomplished grappler will generally be able to find some time to think and at least try to maneuver out of the direst situation on the ground.

If they are struggling on their feet, they always have the – admittedly dangerous – option of closing the distance and initiating a clinch to slow the action or shooting for a take down to try to change the momentum of a fight.

A talented striker will always be confident of finding a solution for as long as they remain upright. Their problems start when their back touches the mat.

Getting out from underneath a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt is brutally difficult, but the modern MMA ruleset offers hope. If they can keep their elbows tucked in and keep their opponent as close as possible, there is always the chance that the referee will stand them back up.

If they make it to the end of the round, they can get back to their corner, regroup and start again after the minute break.

If a boxer is outmatched, they have no choice but to stay on their feet and use their hands, feet and brain for as long as the fight lasts. It can be a brutally exposed place to be.

On Saturday night, former UFC fighter McCann will fight Radomska (7-4) over six two-minute rounds on the Paddy Donovan-Lewis Crocker card in Belfast, Northern Ireland. The event will be streamed exclusively by DAZN.

“In MMA, if you switched off, you can just be hurt everywhere or anywhere,” McCann told Matchroom Boxing. “Boxing's a little bit more acute, still. You've only got these two hands to worry about, but if you switch off a tiny bit, if you don't clean up after your shot and you stay there or if you come out with your chin high, you’re getting clocked for it.

“I just think MMA is hard in a different way. It's like, you’ve grappled. You’ve got on the floor and you've got to get up. You’ve got to then stay composed and strike and then stop the take down.

“This is more composed but it's still tough to me. But I can't compare them because it's so different.”

McCann has always primarily been a boxer. Of the eight losses she suffered during her MMA career, four came by submission. The Liverpudlian’s four decision defeats came when she was forced to spend a decent amount of time fighting on the ground.

Recently, scores of formerly successful veteran MMA fighters have tried to make the move across to professional boxing. Being charitable, results have been mixed.

Although she won’t be able to employ her trademark spinning elbow on Saturday night, McCann has spent years and years training and sparring in boxing gyms, and she should find the transition much easier to make.

“I suppose I had imposter syndrome in MMA, because I was a boxer doing MMA,” she said. “So, the outside noise was always, 'Oh, she's not this, she's not that, she's just that.'

“It's funny because now I’m doing boxing, it'll be, 'She’s an MMA fighter doing boxing.' So it's like you can never win, but at least the variables of what I can control to be the best me, I’m doing.”