A pair of former strawweights turned flyweights will meet at UFC 266 when ex-115lb champ Jessica Andrade (21-9) takes on Cynthia Calvillo.
The women’s flyweight pairing was first reported Thursday by ESPN Deportes. The bout will be the first for Andrade since a failed title bid against the dominant Valentina Shevchenko at UFC 261 in April.
That fight saw Jessica Andrade stopped by elbows in the second round. It was her third loss in four bouts, after defeats to Weili Zhang (costing her strawweight gold) and Rose Namajunas. The lone win in that stretch was a dominant showing in her flyweight debut against Katlyn Chookagian. Still, at just 29, Andrade should have plenty of fighting life left ahead of her.
Calvillo (9-2-1) is also coming off a loss, coincidentally to Chookagian. The unanimous decision defeat leaves the 33-year old at 1-1 in the UFC’s 125lb division for women. Following her debut in the weight class, a dominant decision over former title challenger Jessica Eye, Calvillo had been seen as a contender in the division.
UFC 266 is expected to take place on September 25, 2021. No official location or venue has been revealed for the PPV card. However, a light heavyweight title fight between champ Jan Blachowicz and the surging Glover Teixeira has been set as the main event.
