Joanne Calderwood is no doubt one of the most endearing figures in mixed martial arts, which makes it hard not to be thrilled for her to finally get a big, statement win — which she did at UFC Lincoln on Saturday.
Lincoln, NB — Joanne Calderwood entered UFC Lincoln with zero submission wins on her record. She exited her bout with Kalindra Faria with her first, however. And what a submission it was. While the night was still unfolding, it was certainly a candidate for Performance of the Night. A triangle, converted to an arm-bar, that forced the Brazilian to tap. And a huge win at a key time in the career of the popular, soft-spoken ‘JoJo.’
Speaking to reporters after the bout, Calderwood said that “physically, I felt the best I’ve felt through my whole career, and I’ve been fighting fourteen years.”
“I’m so grateful for finally finding this path, and being able to fight in this division,” she continued. Clearly, she’s comfortable at 125lbs. “I just feel I’m going to grow as a fighter. I felt great. My weight cut went perfect. My whole camp I was healthy. No injuries. Today has just been — everything went smoothly.”
Of course, the submission finish wasn’t exactly what Calderwood envisioned during training. “I honestly saw this fight as Fight of the Night, two strikers standing in front of each other,” she admitted. Still, it did cross her mind that Faria might take her down. And she was well-prepared.
“At Syndicate MMA, we’re practicing everything. We’re doing everything MMA related,” Calderwood said of her current camp. “So I feel like my jiu-jitsu has improved so much,” Calderwood added, calling her coach “the glue that put everything together.”
“I feel so much more confident.” That confidence shone through at UFC Lincoln, with her arm-bar coming out of a triangle attempt in the first round, much of which Calderwood spent on her back. “I just saw it, I took it, and I was listening to my cornermen,” she said about the finish.
Coming into the fight on a two-fight losing streak, Calderwood was in something of a must-win situation. “It was so important because I just kept on failing and failing, and it gets disheartening,” she explained. “It always goes through your mind that this is the end, or you should give up and all that. I took some time out, but I grew as a person and a fighter, and it’s just so great to see, finally, the results.”
Don’t miss the full post-fight interview with Joanne Calderwood at UFC Lincoln above!
