Cynthia Calvillo could be going back to the division where she started her UFC career.
Calvillo herself revealed the news on social media on Tuesday, announcing her intent to drop back down to 115lbs.
Looks like Cynthia Calvillo is returning to strawweight, via her IG pic.twitter.com/4XPxG6aOw8
— Alex Behunin (@AlexBehunin) December 28, 2021
It has been a rough few years for Calvillo (9-4-1). The 34-year old started her UFC run on fire, joining the promotion just three fights into her pro career, then going 3-0 inside the octagon. That established Calvillo as a new hot prospect in the UFC’s strawweight ranks. In her fourth UFC fight, she failed an in-competition drug test for marijuana metabolites in a losing effort to Carla Esparza. As a result, she was suspended for nine months.
When Calvillo returned to action a year later against Poliana Botelho, she missed weight for the first time. Two fights later, paired up with fellow rising star Marina Rodriguez, she would miss weight for the second time. That would be the last time Calvillo would fight in the strawweight division, as she would move up to flyweight in her next fight against former title challenger Jessica Eye. She would also headline that event with Eye.
Riding a four-fight unbeaten streak, she fought Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 255 in what could have been a No. 1 contender’s fight for her. Had she won the fight, there was a very good chance she would have been Valentina Shevchenko’s next challenger. Unfortunately, she lost the bout via unanimous decision.
Calvillo returned a year later against former strawweight champion and title challenger Jéssica Andrade and lost via first-round TKO. She would turn around on short notice and fight Andrea Lee; however, she wound up dominated and lost the bout when her corner threw in the towel.
That was Calvillo’s third loss in a row. With her future up in the air, Calvillo posted an Instagram story on Monday that is now gone, teasing a return to the division she started her UFC career at.
“I’ll be back. #115,” Calvillo wrote. She also tagged UFC president Dana White.
Calvillo has always been a bigger strawweight, but with the UFC P.I. helping fighters get their body right, a return to the 115-pound division could be just what she needs. Time will tell.
