Calderwood vs. Maia: High Risk & High Reward
Saturday night’s co-main event comes with high risk and high rewards for both fighters involved. Joanne Calderwood was originally scheduled to matchup against current Flyweight champion Valentina Schevchenko, however an undisclosed injury to the champion caused the fight to get scrapped. However, when Jennifer Maia’s original opponent Viviane Araujo tested positive for COVID-19, Calderwood stepped in on short notice.
Jennifer Maia is coming off a split decision loss against Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 244, she got scheduled to matchup against #8 Viviane Araujo in a bounce back matchup. Calderwood’s addition to the fight brought this fight from a rebound fight to potentially a title eliminator. With an impressive performance, the former Invicta Flyweight champion can soon see UFC gold in her future.
The always game Joanne Calderwood decided to help save Saturday night’s card by adding herself to the co-main event. But in doing that, she has potentially put her championship aspirations in real danger. She’s aware of this, but didn’t want to wait for Schevchenko to recover jumped on the opportunity to fight Maia.
With a win, Maia potentially becomes the next contender to Schevchenko’s title. But with a loss, Calderwood will have to regroup and will have to wait longer for another title opportunity.
