On last night's episode of UFC Tonight, it was announced that Cynthia Calvillo vs Carla Esparza has been added to UFC 219 Dec. 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. I expect this match to be on the main card. This match could give us the next contender for Joanna Jedrzejczyk's UFC Strawweight Championship. I guess the short version is Cynthia is on the way up and Carla looks to be on the way down. If Cynthia wins, she gets into the title picture. Right now she is ranked #8. Cynthia is 30 years old. She trains at Team Alpha Male in Sacramento. Her record is 6-0 and she is 3-0 in the UFC. Cynthia is known for her ground game. But in her last fight, she won over Joanne Calderwood using a keep away strategy. Fans were annoyed with her but it was good strategy because why would you want to clinch with Joanne Calderwood. If Joanne had made successful adjustments, Cynthia could have tried other things. It wasn't an exciting fight. But there was a lot of pressure on Joanne in her home town. And I don't think she expected that strategy from Cynthia. It showed me that Cynthia is versatile and can execute a game plan given to her by coach Justin Buchholtz. Carla is also from California. She's 29 years old and her record is 12-4. Right now she's ranked #7. I don't think Carla has looked very good since returning from shoulder surgery. In her last fight, she won a squeaker over Maryna Moroz. Neither of them were very good. I don't think it helped her. Cynthia is a much tougher opponent. There's a lot at stake for both. With a win, Cynthia can move up to the title picture. So could Carla but a loss could put her on a one way trip to Palookaville. So I think this is a significant fight in the Strawweight division.
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