Joanne Calderwood "My game plan is to win. Thats it." ahead of fighting at Invicta 6

Kingdom MMA catch up with Joanne Calderwood before her Invicta 6 fight

by Ben Heather @benheather

Today Kingdom MMA had the pleasure of catching up again with one of the UK's rising stars Joanne Calderwood. Calderwood is now 6-0 in her MMA career including two wins for Invicta Fighting Championships. On Saturday night she returns to the cage to fight at Invicta 6 in Kansas City, USA knowing that a big win could put her right in the mix for a title shot.

Ben: So last time we spoke to you, you had just defeated Sally Krumdiak. What have you been up to since that fight at Cage Warriors 53?
Calderwood: Do you need to ask ;)  I'm sure the the cage in the gym sees more daylight than me.  I came out that fight with no injuries so was back in the gym the next day.  I'm not one of those fighters who is only in the gym when they have a fight coming up. I got back on a off season strength programme and back on trying to improve every area of my game working with my coaches.

Ben: I believe you also competed and won a grappling competition just after your last fight, have you taken part in any more recently?
Calderwood: Yeah I jump in where I can... competing is important to me regardless of whether its a MMA fight, grappling match, thai fight or crazy golf. The week after my fight I went down to Manchester to attend a wedding and managed  to train with Rosi Sexton and compete in the Manchester grab and pull BJJ competition winning my divisions at blue belt which was cool as there was some talented girls in there.  I was at the Scottish nationals a few weeks back also but there was no girls in my bracket. I'll compete every week if I could.

Ben: You have had a number of changes of opponents for this fight, has that altered your training regime at all?
Calderwood: Not really I never focus on my opponent...in fact I never really think of them that much till I'm in there. I spend all my time concentrating on me getting better and stuff i can control. My team always study my opponents and pick up things that I probably couldn't and they tailor things into my fight camp..they've got my back.

Ben: Were you disappointed that Gadelha got promoted and is now fighting in the title eliminator fight and not you?
Calderwood: I'm just glad to be fighting more than anything. My fight will be the best on the night whoever it's against. I really believe I'm going to have to fight all these girls at some point to get where I'm going.

Ben: Do you feel you are close to being given that opportunity of a number one contender fight?
Calderwood: I've fought on the Invicta show twice now and performed well, I was the fist girl to get a KO on the show, I've signed for another 6 fights there. There is a lot of talent in my division I'll keep winning until I get my shot. Whether it's after this fight or a few fights down the line.

Ben: Are you pleased to be back fighting for Invicta again and working towards getting that title shot?
Calderwood: Yeah I'm so excited, I love it over here. The Invicta team are great and I always look forward to seeing them, they treat me really well and make me feel like a professional athlete. They are unlike any other promotion I've ever been involved with.

Ben: You are now fighting Norma Rueda Center, what do you know about her and do you think this is a good match up for you?
Calderwood: Like i said I'm happy to be fighting again, the world doesn't want to see me without a fight, it would get ugly....I'd be pulling my hair out! Norma is from Jacksons MMA which is pretty much all you need to know about her. Those guys are not regarded as one of the best gyms in the game for nothing. I expect her to come in with a solid game plan and try and see it out.

Ben: What day do you travel to the US ahead of the fight and who is going along from the team to support you?
Calderwood: I left this morning and I'm here now (Tuesday) we had 10 hours in the air and a few casualties in the airport due to delayed flight and me running skipping queues to make my connection flight. James Doolan is here with me, we work well together and I'm very confident with him in my corner.

Ben: Do you have any concerns about cutting weight with the travelling for this fight? After all last time the arena was in your home town.
Calderwood: It is easier being home to do a weight cut, but when you go away there is always a lot of time to waste and always adds to the journey. No two weight cuts are the same the only thing that's consistent with cutting weight is its all mental. I've done it a few times before so it will be cool.

Ben: What's the game plan or Saturday night and how do you expect the fight to go?
Calderwood: My game plan is to win. That's it.

Many Thanks to Joanne for taking the time out from her schedule to talk to Kingdom MMA and we wish her all the best for her fight on Saturday night.

For anybody who wants the opportunity to meet Joanne Calderwood, she will be at the UK MMA Expo the weekend of July 20th -21st in Manchester. Tickets can be purchased from http://www.ukmmaexpo.co.uk/

Press Release: Invicta FC 6 to Broadcast Live on PPV in The US

Invicta FC 6 to Broadcast Live on PPV in The US

Two of the premier women mixed-martial-arts fighters in the world, Cris Cyborg (11-1) and Marloes Coenen (21-5), headline the July 13^th Invicta Fighting Championships 6 pay-per-view event, airing live from Ameristar Casino Hotel in Kansas City, Missouri.Brazilian KO artist Cyborg, arguably the top pound-for-pound fighters in women’s MMA, and equally dangerous Dutch submission specialist Coenen, will battle in a five, five-minute round rematch for the inaugural Invicta FC World Featherweight (145-pounds) title. “Cyborg” won their first meeting on January 30, 2010, in an action-packed fight that ended on a technical knockout (punches) in the final round. 
“We are excited about bringing the Invicta FC brand of women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts to television for the first time with this tremendous rematch between two of the world’s top women fighters,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “This is yet another step forward for women’s MMA and we are extremely proud to be leading the charge.”
 
“Invicta FC 6,” presented by Invicta Fighting Championships, is being distributed in  North America by Integrated Sports Media for live viewing at 9:00 p.m. ET – 6:00 p.m. PT on both cable and satellite pay-per-view via iN Demand, DISH,  Avail-TVN in the United States, as well as Bell TV in Canada, for a suggested retail price of only $14.95.

“We’re excited to be distributing Invicta FC 6 to MMA fans in the U.S.,” Integrated Sports Media president Doug Jacobs said.  ”Women’s MMA has exploded and Invicta Fighting Championships has led the charge.  Fighting stars from all over the world are coming out July 13^th for Invicta FC 6. Cyborg is one of the most recognizable and entertaining superstars in women’s MMA.  Fans really enjoy watching her fight and she’s in tough again with another bonafide star, Coenen.  It’s our pleasure to be part of this great top-to-bottom women’s MMA show on July 13^th.”

The co-main event showcases a pair of undefeated strawweights (115 lbs.) sporting identical 9-0 professional records, Japanese invader and JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki and Brazilian sensation Claudia Gadelha, in a three-by-five-minute-rounds match.

Three-time Invicta FC fight winner Sarah D’Alelio (7-3), fighting out of San Jose (CA), takes on unbeaten Texas bantamweight (135 lbs.) prospect Lauren Taylor (6-0), while California (Pleasant Hills) striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) shoots for her third “Fight of the Night” performance, dropping down from bantamweight to flyweight (125 lbs.)for a throw-down with another gifted Brazilian, Jennifer Maia (7-2).

Also scheduled to fight on the undercard are atomweight (105 lbs.) Jessica Penne (10-2, California) vs. Nicdali “The Queen Queen” Rivera-Calanoc (8-6, Oklahoma), strawweight (Joanne Calderwood (6-0, Scotland) vs. Sarah “White Tiger” Schneider (6-6, Missouri), featherweight Ediane “India” Gomes (10-2, Florida) vs. Julia Budd (5-2, Canada), strawweight “Rowdy” Bec Hyatt (5-2, Australia) vs. Mizuki Inaoue (5-1, Japan), bantamweight Miriam Nakamoto (2-0), California) vs. Duda “Diamond” Yankovich (1-1, Brazil), strawweight Rose Namajunas (2-0, Minnesota) vs. Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres (2-0, Florida), strawweight Ashley Cummins (3-1, Missouri) vs.Emily Kagan (2-1, New Mexico), featherweight Mollie Estes (1-2, Missouri) vs. Veronica “The Heartbreaker” Rothenhausier (1-0, California), and atomweight Livia Von Plettenberg (1-1, Austria) vs. Cassie Robb (0-1, Colorado).

All fights, excluding the main event and co-main event, feature three, five-minute round fights.  All fights and fighters are subject to change.

Esparza injured, Hamasaki now fights Gadelha. Joanne Calderwood's new opponent TBC

Strawweight champ Carla Esparza out of Invicta 6

by Ben Heather @benheather

Carla Esparza the Invicta strawweight champion has had to pull out from her fight against Ayaka Hamasaki at Invicta FC 6 after suffering an apparent knee injury. That fight was for Esparza's title which obviously now will not be defended. Ayaka Hamasaki, who was due to fight Carla Esparza will now face off against Claudia Gadelha. This leaves Invicta trying to find an opponent for Joanne Calderwood who should have been fighting Gadelha before the switch.

Kingdom MMA spoke with Joanne Calderwood to find out if she was still going to be fighting on the card and if an opponent had been found yet. This was her response.

"Yea I'm still on the card, my new opponent should be announced in the next few days. I wish Carla a speedy recovery and that she's back ASAP for the queue of 115lbers that will be forming for the title"

According to Invicta president Shannon Knapp, Esparza's injury may be severe enough to promote the new fight between Gadelha and Hamasaki as an interim title fight. The original fight was slated to be the co-main event to the Cris Cyborg vs Marloes Coenen featherweight title fight which will headline Invicta 6 in July.

The new co main event will be an interesting fight as both women will go in to the fight with perfect 9-0 records. This will be Hamasaki's second fight for Invicta after submitting Lacey Shuckman via armbar at Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann. However Gadleha will make her Invicta debut against possibly her toughest opponent yet.

The fights will take place on July 13th at the Ameristar Casino in Kansas City.

Leslie Smith Drops to 125, Meets Jennifer Maia in Invicta FC 6 Title Eliminator

 Leslie Smith vs Jennifer Maia Set for Invicta FC6 Title Eliminator

On the heels of her second-career Invicta Fighting Championships “Fight of the Night” performance, crowd-pleasing, prolific striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasanton, Calif. has signed a new, multi-fight agreement with the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion and will drop from bantamweight (135 pounds) to flyweight (125 pounds) and challenge Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Brazil. at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13.

The winner of the Invicta FC 6 matchup between Smith and Maia will be awarded a title shot against newly crowned Invicta FC World Flyweight Champion Barb Honchak (8-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

“We are excited to bring Leslie under the Invicta Fighting Championships umbrella for the long-term and to watch her compete in a new weight class that is becoming super competitive in our promotion,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp.  “Since we launched our live event series last year, Leslie has demonstrated incredible tenacity and athleticism by putting on some of the most memorable fights in our cage.  She is a true warrior as is her opponent Jennifer Maia, so we are looking forward to an explosive matchup between two of the sport’s stars on what will be Invicta FC’s biggest fight card to date.”

The 30-year-old Smith engaged in an all-out war with former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman at Invicta FC 5 at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on April 5.  Following the conclusion of the three-round contest that many believe Smith won, however, Kaufman was awarded a controversial, split decision, prompting widespread boos from the displeased, capacity crowd.

Smith also won “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28, 2012, after slugging it out relentlessly with fellow striker Kaitlin Young for the duration of their three-round bantamweight bout.  The fight was declared a majority draw, setting up a much-anticipated rematch at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6 that saw Smith take charge and finish Young with an onslaught of punches from mount position in the second round (2:19) of the matchup.

Maia, a 24-year-old submission specialist, notched her first victory in the Invicta FC cage with a stunning upset, unanimous decision win over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel on April 5.  Recognized as one of Brazil’s quickest rising stars, Maia made quick work of each of her first four professional career opponents, scoring a first round TKO (punches) in her pro debut on Suelen Pinheiro Ribeiro in 2009, and submitting each of her next three opponents inside the first round.

Joanne Calderwood talks win at Cage Warriors 53 and fighting again for Invicta

Kingdom MMA Interview Joanne Calderwood after her Cage Warriors 53 win

by Ben Heather @benheather

At Cage Warriors 53 Joanne Calderwood improved her MMA record to 6-0 with a devastating TKO victory against Sally Krumdiack and today Kingdom MMA again got the privilege to ask Joanne some questions, this time about her fight and her future.

Firstly Joanne congratulations to you on your win at cage warriors 53, did you feel any emotions when you made your way to the cage in your hometown on Saturday night?
Every time I make my way to the cage/ ring its usually always the same drill, I just listen to my song and try to stay calm. I actually hate the walk in but there is no emotions at that point or in the fight for me. I only feel stuff after the fight, there's no place in a fight for emotion.

What did you make of the crowd? It sounded to me like the whole arena was shaking when you made your entrance.
I knew there was going to be a lot of support there but tried not to concentrate on that. I always look forward to catching up with everyone after the fight when I don't need to focus and be in the zone. I was actually surprised talking to people that i didn't know after the show that they were there just to see me fight because they are following my career. Any support other than my family and gym family is a bonus so I was even happier Saturday night. I've heard the atmosphere was crazy for my fight but I'm not the type to notice it at the time.

How did you rate your performance?
On a scale of 1-10.......6 it's cool I got to show case my boxing in this one, that was new but I've still got a lot of show.

Did Krumdiack fight how you expected and how you had trained for in the cage?
No she didn't, but like I always say I expect everything when I go in there. You can think about the fight to go a hundred million different ways and it could still be different. My coaches expected Sally to rush forward and try hold or take me down against the fence sooner, the one time she did rush I caught her.

Just before the end of the fight Krumdiack made her first and only mistake by missing with a spinning back fist, you made her pay for this and got the stoppage.
Can you talk us through the end of the fight?
I backed Sally up to the fence and as she tried to spin for the Backfist I teeped her off balance, basic Muay Thai, Sally scrambled up and rushed forward punching, I adjusted my range and dropped her with a check uppercut, I knew Mark Goddard was a bit away so I followed her down and hit her until he stopped it in case Sally recovered.

At the time I thought there was a gap in the knock down and the next few shots but when I seen it back I was on her pretty quick which I'm happy about, killer instinct is never anything I've been lacking I like when that shows.

Do you pride yourself on the fact that it only took one mistake by your opponent for you to finish the fight?
I think at this level it only takes one mistake by either fighter,I think one mistake will be the difference between winning and losing, that's why there's no place in my fights for emotions and concentration is so important. I fight doing my best to not make mistakes if the other girl does I'll jump on it.

Have you watched the fight back, if so did you spot any areas for you to improve on?
Yeah I've watched it back, I was back in gym the Monday going over things and I found out on the Wednesday that there was a grappling competition on in the town I was going to for a wedding so I jumped in on that and won my division which was cool as I didn't get to grapple during the Cage Warriors fight.

I love the quote and I've took it on for the way I'm looking at my future....'Arriving at one goal is the starting point to another. ' goals obviously being fights ;) I'm always going to be looking to improve every area of my game.

Did you come away fit and healthy from the fight?
Yeah although after a few days off the diet now I don't know about healthy ;)

Your next fight has just been announced, what do you make of your opponent and how many fights away from a title fight possibly with Carla Esparza are you?
My next fight is at Invicta 6 against a great Brazilian fighter Claudia Gahdela who's 9-0, a BJJ blackbelt and from nova unioa, Jose Aldo's team so that's all I will be focusing on for now. Claudia was meant to fight Carla at Invicta 4 but got injured training, I guess the winner of this fight will be next in line for who ever has the belt after Invicta 6. What's for me won't go by me.

Do you think the Krumdiack fight could be the last time you get to fight in the UK for a while, if so are you happy you got to put on a great show in your home town as a parting gift to the UK scene?
I enjoy fighting abroad so I can stay in hotels and steal the wee soaps, towels and bath robes to sell them back in the scheme. ( my team mates Paul and carpet wanted to help with this interview and l promised I'd keep at least one of their answers in).

I'm going to be tied to Invicta which keeps me in the US but if a big opportunity came up I'm sure Invicta would let me fight in the UK, there is nothing in the foreseeable future so it could be a long time before I fight in Glasgow again. I suppose if it was to be my last home fight it couldn't have gone much better. KO of the night on a big international show.

Would you like to say thanks to anyone?
Thank you for the interview. Thanks to Cage Warriors for having me on and Invicta for giving me permission to stay active I can't wait to get back there though its starting to feel like home.

If anyone is looking to sponsor me for my next 6 fights in USA please get in touch with jamesdoolan23@hotmail.com your support would be much appreciated.

Thank you again for your time Joanne and we all at Kingdom MMA look forward to seeing you fight at Invicta 6.