UFC 257: Jessica Eye vs Joanne Calderwood- Prediction and Analysis

UFC women’s flyweights Jessica Eye and Joanne Calderwood will duke it out at the mid-point for the UFC 257 fight card. The event is headlined by Conor McGregor, and Dustin Poirier and the winner will be in line for championship gold. Moreover, the co-main event also features a critical lightweight bout between Dan Hooker and Michael Chandler.

The event has been trending high viewership numbers as is to be expected from a bout involving Conor McGregor’s return. ‘The Notorious’ last scrapped in January 2020, and his absence certainly makes MMA fans pine for his return. Chiefly, the fighters on the main card have a great opportunity to bolster their profiles with a strong showing.

UFC women’s flyweights: Jessica Eye vs Joanne Calderwood

Jessica ‘Evil’ Eye has gone 1-2 in her last three outings, including a devastating title fight KO loss to Valentina Shevchenko. The Xtreme Couture veteran fought once in 2020 and couldn’t get past Cynthia Calvillo, Furthermore, she also had her fair share of issues on the scale which has become a recurring feature.

Eye’s biggest liability is her defensive irresponsibility that often seems to creep up in her match-ups. The head kick loss to Shevchenko exposed a hole in her game that can be costly if not adequately addressed. Although Calderwood doesn’t have the heaviest hands, her constant voluminous pressure can be crippling.

‘Jojo’ Calderwood looking to bounce back

Joanne Calderwood is also coming in with a 1-2 record, making this an equally consequential match-up. She suffered a quick first-round armbar defeat to Jennifer Maia in her last fight that knocked her out of contention. Calderwood certainly has some work to do as she struggled to maintain her early career’s dominant consistency. This feature came in her September 2019 win over Andrea Lee.

‘Jojo’ isn’t afraid to bite down on her mouthpiece and throw heavy hands with bad intentions in the pocket. Chiefly, some of her offensive maneuvers have a clear cut telegraph as she prefers to enter into range without a jab. Eye’s wide stance is favorable for leg kicks, and Calderwood has enough in the tank to scalp out a decision.

Prediction: Joanne Calderwood to claim a unanimous decision victory