WASHINGTON – Cynthia Calvillo is soaking it all in.
While many other fighters are miserable the week leading up to a Saturday night bout, UFC women’s strawweight contender Calvillo (8-1 MMA, 5-1 UFC) is having fun.
“We like to say that sometimes when we look at fighters during fight week, it’s like they’re going to their funeral,” Calvillo told MMA Junkie at Wednesday’s open workouts. “Not for me. I don’t feel that way at all. I’m having so much fun. These camps, they’re so grueling sometimes.
“We put in so much time and energy, especially like myself. I love what I do for my job for a living. I train so hard that when I get to fight week it’s almost like my birthday week – besides having to eat cake everyday. I’m not going to get my cake until Saturday night, which is fine.”
In the co-main event of UFC on ESPN 7, Calvillo takes on undefeated Brazilian Marina Rodriguez (12-0-1 MMA, 2-0-1 UFC) – a tough test, she acknowledges. With a victory over a game opponent, Calvillo says she will take one step closer to her ultimate goal.
“There are a lot of things I do in training I feel are yet to come out,” Calvillo said. “I feel like the more I fight, the more those things are going to come out. Eventually, people aren’t going to say, ‘Hey, that’s Cynthia Calvillo – the jiu-jitsu fighter.’ It’s going to be, ‘Cynthia Calvillo – the baddest woman on the planet.’
UFC on ESPN 7 takes place at Capital One Arena. The main card airs on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.
Check out Calvillo’s full UFC on ESPN 7 open workout scrum in the video above.
