The MMA Daily

A Women’s Flyweight contest is spotlighted on the main card, as Cynthia Calvillo takes on Nina Nunes. On a brutal three-fight skid, Calvillo comes into this fight urgently needing a victory. Once a contender and within one victory from a title shot, Calvillo’s fall from grace has seen her drop to eleventh in the rankings. At 34 years old, the time is now for Calvillo to turn things back around. Meanwhile, Nunes comes into this fight on a two-fight losing streak. Having only fought once in the past three years due to becoming a mother, Nunes will look to the Flyweight division to rejuvenate her career.

This is solid matchmaking, as both former Strawweight’s desperately need to get their careers back on track. Calvillo is a grappler, who has often dismissed that part of her game, electing to strike instead. While Calvillo can hold her own on the feet, it’s her ground game that has been at the center of her success. Hoping Calvillo abandons grappling is Nunes, who is a striker by trade. An active on at that, as she is landing 4.64 significant strikes per fifteen minutes. Still working on her defensive wrestling, Nunes sports a pretty good 76% takedown defense.

As for a prediction, I have Nunes winning. While Calvillo may finally grapple and see success, I can’t trust her to actually do so. Time and time again, Calvillo has abandoned her strength and instead decides to get into a firefight on the feet. Nunes being the better in that aspect gives me hope that she will prevail for the first time in over three years via decision.