Tag Archives: Jessica Eye

Jessica Andrade to Fight Defending UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko 

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Jessica Andrade is taking on a champion…

The 29-year-old Brazilian professional mixed martial artist and former strawweight champion is set to take on defending UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 261, according to Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White.

Jessica Andrade

The 125-pound title fight will take place at the April 24 pay-per-view event, for which the UFC hasn’t yet finalized a location. It will mark Shevchenko’s fifth attempted title defense.

Shevchenko (20-3) has dominated the weight class since she dropped to 125 pounds from 135 pounds in 2018. She won the vacant belt by defeating another former strawweight champion in Joanna Jedrzejczyk in late 2018, then has looked more or less unbeatable in defenses against Jessica Eye, Liz Carmouche, Katlyn Chookagian and Jennifer Maia.

Andrade (21-8) is widely perceived as the greatest threat to Shevchenko’s reign.

She won the UFC’s 115-pound championship by knocking out Rose Namajunas in May 2019 before surrendering the belt to current champ Zhang Weili three months later. She moved up to the 125-pound division in October, and scored a first-round knockout over Chookagian.

ESPN ranks Shevchenko and Andrade the No. 2 and No. 6 female pound-for-pound fighters in the world, respectively.

Cynthia Calvillo ThisClose to UFC Flyweight Fight Against Katlyn Chookagian

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Cynthia Calvillo could be returning to the Octagon in the near future…

The UFC is close to finalizing a flyweight fight between the 33-year-old Latina mixed martial artist and Katlyn Chookagian for UFC 255 later this month, according to ESPN sources.

Cynthia Calvillo

Contracts haven’t been signed yet, but the bout will take place on November 21 in Las Vegas once it’s official.

It’s good timing for the 125-pound contender fight, as the UFC 255 pay-per-view event features flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko defending her title against Jennifer Maia in the co-main event.

Calvillo (9-1-1) catapulted herself into flyweight title contention with a five-round decision over former title challenger Jessica Eye in June. That was Calvillo’s flyweight debut in the UFC. She accumulated a 5-1-1 record as a strawweight prior to the move up in weight in June.

Calvillo was scheduled to face Lauren Murphy last month, but was forced to withdraw due to a positive COVID-19 test.

Chookagian (14-4) is coming off a knockout loss to former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade on October 17 in Abu Dhabi. Despite the loss, Chookagian is still the No. 2-ranked flyweight in the world per the UFC rankings, behind No. 1-ranked Andrade.

The 31-year-old Chookagian fought Shevchenko for the title in February, and came up short via third-round TKO. The fight against Calvillo will mark her fourth appearance in 2020.

Cynthia Calvillo to Fight Jessica Eye in UFC Fight Night Bout in June

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Cynthia Calvillo is heading back to the Octagon next month.

The 32-year-old Latina mixed martial artist and fellow UFC women’s flyweight Jessica Eye have agreed to fight on June 13 at UFC Fight Night, according to ESPN.

Cynthia Calvillo

The bout would headline the event, sources said, though a location wasn’t immediately known.

Eye (15-7, 1 NC) is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Viviane Araujo at UFC 245 in December. It was her first fight since she challenged for the flyweight title and suffered a devastating head-kick knockout to champion Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 238 last June.

Eye, who is currently ESPN‘s No. 8-ranked women’s flyweight, has won four of her past five fights.

Calvillo (8-1-1) returns to the Octagon after fighting to a majority draw with Marina Rodriguez in December. That bout was fought at a catchweight after Calvillo missed the contracted strawweight limit.

Next Saturday’s UFC cardis expected to take place at the company’s Apex facility in Las Vegas. The location is subject to change until Wednesday, when the Nevada State Athletic Commission is scheduled to formally vote on reopening the state to combat sports.

NSAC officials indefinitely suspended all combat sports in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Kalindra Faria to Fight Joanne Calderwood for UFC Fight Night in August

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Kalindra Faria is ready to take on one of Europe’s most popular fighters…

The 31-year-old Brazilian mixed martial arts (MMA) fighter will face off against Scotland’s Joanne Calderwood for UFC Fight Night in Lincoln, Nebraska, on August 25, according to ESPN. The promotion is expected to formally announce the flyweight fight in the coming days.

Kalindra Faria

Calderwood (11-3) hasn’t fought since her July 2017 unanimous decision loss to Cynthia Calvillo. She has lost two straight after winning 11 of her first 12 professional fights.

Faria (18-7-1) is 0-2 in the UFC. She most recently lost a split decision to Jessica Eye in January.

The event, which will mark the UFC’s first in Lincoln, will be headlined by Justin Gaethje vs. James Vick.