UFC Vegas 5: Calderwood vs Maia Preview

Which fighter will emerge victoriously and take another step closer to their championship aspirations?! We have our thoughts on how we think this fight will go. However, before we discuss that, let us take a quick look at the UFC careers of both fighters leading up to this fight.

Calderwood’s History

Joanne Calderwood got her start in the UFC by way of the epic 20th season of The Ultimate Fighter. She would go on to lose her quarterfinal bout against future strawweight champion Rose Namajunas. Originally a strawweight herself, Calderwood has faced some of the toughest competition that division has to offer. She was able to pick up wins over Seo Hee Ham, Cortney Casey, and Valérie Létourneau. However, she also dropped fights to Maryna Moroz, Jéssica Andrade, and Cynthia Calvillo before trying her hand at flyweight.

Calderwood has enjoyed much more success at flyweight. She beat Kalindra Faria by a triangle armbar in her flyweight debut. Calderwood followed that first win up with a unanimous decision win over Ariane Lipski. She next faced Katlyn Chookagian for her only loss at flyweight. In her most recent fight, Calderwood won a very narrow split-decision fight with Andrea Lee. Can Joanne Calderwood keep up her fantastic performance at flyweight and finally earn a championship fight opportunity for the first time in her career?

Maia’s History

Jennifer Maia is a relatively new fighter in the UFC. Maia debuted for the UFC in 2018 after an outstanding run in Invicta FC in which she was the flyweight champion for the organization. Maia’s debut did not go as planned, as she dropped her first UFC fight to Liz Carmouche by unanimous decision. She followed that loss up with two straight unanimous decision wins over Alexis Davis and Roxanne Modafferi. In Maia’s most recent fight, she lost via unanimous decision to Katlyn Chookagian, which is something she has in common with her opponent Joanne Calderwood. Can Maia continue this fantastic start to her UFC career by beating one of the best flyweights in the world?

Calderwood vs Maia Prediction

If history is any indication, this fight will end in a decision. Calderwood has eight wins and two losses by decision in her career. Maia has nine wins and four losses by decision in her career. These two women know how to go the distance. With both women being so evenly matched, it’s hard to predict the outcome to be any different.

Calderwood vs Maia Result: Calderwood by unanimous decision.

After 15 minutes of strategic battle, I see Calderwood emerging victorious in a very narrow fight. These two are evenly matched in so many aspects. On the feet, Calderwood has great Muay Thai skills but Maia is a brilliant boxer. On the ground, both are very skilled BJJ practitioners. It’s hard to see either fighter having a huge advantage in this one. The one area where I think Calderwood does have the advantage is in her experience at the highest level. With ten fights inside the UFC, Calderwood has the advantage when compared to Maia’s four fights inside the UFC. For that reason, I think Calderwood edges out Maia for the hard-fought victory.

Who do you have in this clash of women’s flyweights?! Leave your opinion in the comments below!

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