Fighter vs Writer - UFC Fight Night London: Calderwood vs Heard - THE REMATCH

Fighter vs Writer: JoJo Calderwood - UFC Fight Night London
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this feature we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Dustin Poirier, Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Michael Wootten.

This weeks opponent comes in to the battle having already defeated our writer Sam Heard and will be looking to prove once again she is as good at her predictions as she is in the cage. At 8-0 she is one of the favourites to win the soon to be recorded UFC The Ultimate Fighter 20, the first season to be full of women and all of them will fight for the inaugeral UFC 115lb womens belt. She is of course Jojo Calderwood and this weekend our writer Sam Heard will be looking for revenge.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Alexander Gustafsson vs Jimi Manuwa

Calderwood: Man it gets tougher and I hate picking against some awesome fighters.

I said at last night q&a gustafsson will win in the third so I better stick to my guns.

Prediction:  Alexander Gustafsson - Submission Round 3

Heard: As a Croydon native it pains me to pick against one of my own but I think Gustafsson brings too much to the table for Jimi. Though the unbeaten prospect has seen off all his opponents in highly convincing fashion, Manuwa has never fought anyone close to the Swede’s calibre and I believe this step-up in competition will prove too great. It’s important to note also that though Manuwa is billed as the prospect, the 34-year old is getting on in MMA terms and is 7-years the senior of Alexander.

I personally would’ve preferred to see Jimi fight a fringe top-10 Light Heavyweight next rather than the guy who arguably beat Jon Jones in his last Octagon outing. The man who has never been past the second round will more than likely find himself in very deep water in a five-rounder against the aspiring 205-lbs champ.

Prediction: Alexander Gustafsson - TKO (punches) Round 4

Melvin Guillard vs Michael Johnson

Calderwood: Melvin by second round knockout, just on his explosiveness and experience.

Prediction: Melvin Guillard - KO Round 2

Heard: Though it was disappointing news to hear of Ross Pearson’s injury, I’m probably more excited to see this fight between two excellent 155-lbs strikers as I feel like we already knew Guillard had Pearson’s number.

Johnson’s so-so record has stopped me picking him in the past but after his last two performances against  top-notch opponents it’s a tall order to not hop on the Johnson hype train. I expect the huge improvements he’s made since training with the Blackzilians to come into play here, allowing him to most likely counter punch his way to victory against the explosively powerful yet inconsistent Guillard. Both men have reasonably solid chins so I expect Johnson to pick up a close, highly compelling decision.

Prediction: Michael Johnson - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

Brad Pickett vs Neil Seery

Calderwood: I'm hoping for an upset as I've been around Neil and his camp, tough tough debut though and it would be a Rocky story if he pulls it off.

Prediction: Neil Seery - TKO Round 2

Heard: While I can’t really be disappointed about the replacement Co-Main event I am certainly a bit upset with this one.

Once one of the most highly anticipated fights on the card featuring a floundering Ian McCall looking to rebound against Brad Pickett, we now see a mismatch with Brad making his Flyweight debut against a UFC debutant. I don’t expect this one to be very competitive at all. For me, it’s just a question of whether Pickett outright KOs him or rocks him on the feet before sinking in a choke.

Prediction: Brad Pickett - TKO (punches) Round 2

Gunnar Nelson vs Omari Akhmedov

Calderwood: Probably the one I'm most looking forward to, Nelson has great movement and I think the ground work in this fight will be a great watch for the fans.

Prediction: Gunnar Nelson - Submission Round 2

Heard: Another close matchup which could feasibly go either way. Nelson will likely try to get the fight to the floor where he will be able to work his terrific ground game but I feel like he might have a difficult time doing so against Akmedov’s sambo experience.

The Russian’s have been causing waves in the UFC and I think if he can keep it standing Akhmedov’s heavy hands will allow him to continue this Russian domination.

Prediction: Omari Akhmedov - KO (punch) Round 3

Cyrille Diabate vs Ilir Latifi

Calderwood: I think Latifi will wrestle his way to a decision here.

Prediction: Ilir Latifi - Decision

Heard: In this intriguing clash of a tall, rangy Light Heavyweight against a short, compact one, I expect Ilir Latifi to get the win. Though the bookies have the two at near level odds, I believe the Swede has some key advantages in this matchup. Diabate has easily fought the tougher competition but he has been around the block a bit, nearing his 41st birthday. Latifi is a decade younger and I believe his power will allow him to grind out a decision.

Prediction: Ilir Latifi - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 30-27, 30-27)

Luke Barnatt vs Mats Nilsson

Calderwood: I think Luke will use his reach and strike to victory, potentially even the KO of the night.

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - KO Round 2

Heard: The card’s other clash of a Brit and a Swede and this time I can say that I comfortably expect the Englishman to be victorious. Though Nilsson has shown himself to be a force to be reckoned with at Cage Warriors, it’s very hard to pick against Luke after that amazing UFC fight in Manchester.

Prediction: Luke Barnatt - TKO (punches) Round 2

Brad Scott vs Claudio Henrique da Silva

Calderwood: Brad will be better than Claudio in all areas in this fight.

Prediction: Brad Scott - Decision

Heard: I believe Brad is a criminally underrated fighter and his experience against superior opponents and the fact that this is now his third UFC fight will get him the win over the London-based Brazilian. Silva hasn’t been finished before however and his only loss came by DQ so it should be a competitive decision victory for Brad.

Prediction: Brad Scott by Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Davey Grant vs Roland Delorme

Calderwood: I really like watching Davey Grant on TUF and he will win this fight.

Prediction: Davey Grant - TKO Round 3

Heard: I expect this one to be a Fight of the Night candidate. Both guys keep up a high tempo and mix it up well. However, once again I’m going to have to follow my mind instead of my heart to ensure I beat JoJo this time around and say that Delorme wins a thrilling decision.

In his last fight he lost a very debatable split decision to Alex Caceres who has since looked like a world beater in the Bantamweight division. I believe Davey Grant is undeniably UFC calibre but Roland Delorme is a stud.

Prediction: Roland Delorme - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Igor Araujo vs Danny Mitchell

Calderwood: I see Danny Mitchell pulling off a reversed flying 360 triangle or something crazy.

Prediction: Danny Mitchell - Submission Round 2

Heard: Another clash of grapplers and another difficult pick. I’m going to pick on the side of caution and say that the more experienced Brazilian who has already picked up his first win in the Octagon will continue his run and add a brace of UFC wins to his record.

Prediction: Igor Araujo - Submission Round 3

Phil Harris vs Louis Gaudinot

Calderwood: This will be a competitive fight, but I think Phil will edge it.

Prediction: Harris - Decision

Heard: This one is a tough one to call as both flyweights favour their submission games rather than trading strikes so the question is really who is the more competent grappler (and unfortunately also who has a style which will appeal to the fickle judges more).

This could well be because Phil Harris is such a credit to the world of MMA, but I believe he’s going to land some big Judo throws which will send everyone in the crowd wild and get some vital top position to win a close decision.

Prediction: Phil Harris - Unanimous Decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)

So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to JoJo for providing us with her picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man or woman win!!

SANDEE to Launch Joanne Calderwood “Badmofo” Signature Series

SANDEE to Launch Joanne Calderwood “Badmofo” Signature Series

Team SANDEE Fighter Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood is to get her own range of SANDEE gloves and Shingaurds we can exclusively reveal today.

The new signature range exclusive to www.sandeeboxing.com will be named “Badmofo” after the name she goes by on Twitter.

The new design will be done in conjunction with Joanne and will reflect her Scottish roots combined with the premium quality expected from SANDEE in Thailand.

Here are some more details of the new BadMofo range

*         SANDEE JoJo Calderwood “Badmofo” Range Launching in May 2014

*         Signature design of Professional Training Gloves + Muay Thai Shin Guards

*         Colours – White / Scotland Blue / Black

*         To be Available in 10/12/14/16oz  in Velcro Boxing Gloves, M/L in Shinguards

*         Handcrafted in Thailand exclusively by SANDEE

In reference to Joanne’s Scottish heritage, the “Badmofo” logo will be in classic Celtic Script Font

Inside the Cage or Muay Thai Ring,  JoJo certainly lives up to her BadMofo name as one of the sports most vicious strikers, and has now notched up 8 straight wins in MMA and will later take part in the The Ultimate Fighter Season 20, which for the first time feature and all female contest.

The winner of TUF20 will be crowned the first straw weight female UFC champion and hopefully that will be Team SANDEE’s BadMofo JoJo, who would become the first British UFC Champion in the history of the sport.

Outside of the cage however she couldn’t be nicer (we think anyway) but we wouldn’t like to be on the receiving end of one of her trademark elbows.

Source: sandeeboxing.com

Kingdom MMA 2013 Awards: Female Fighter of the Year

Kingdom MMA Female Fighter of the Year Award 2013: Joanne Calderwood
by Ben Heather - @benheather

2013 has been the year women's MMA has joined the big leagues and is started to get the full respect it deserves, not only did the UFC finally introduce a women's division in the 135lb division but Invicta has been building on its debut year last year to have a strong 2013. You also have promotions such as Cage Warriors who have signed a host of women to its roster this year. The UFC has only recently announced that it will introduce a second women's division to its roster in 2014, this time the strawweights are coming on board and in a big way. TUF20 will be the first time where it will be a house full of women and not only that the winner of the series will be crowned the UFC's first 115lb champion.

So as part of our inaugural Kingdom MMA awards 2013 it was an easy decision to include a category for female fighter of the year.

Its been a great year for WMMA, in a year where Ronda Rousey twice defended her UFC title, Cris Cyborg became the first 145lb champion in Invicta FC and Juliana Pena became the first woman to win the title of The Ultimate Fighter its hard to pick a winner. You also have women such as Alexis Davis who has been a pro for more than 6 and a half years and has gone undefeated in 2013 having fought some of the top women in the 135lb division. Then you have some of the new fighters coming on to the scene in a big way such as Scotland's undefeated JoJo Calderwood.

We had a really hard time getting just one winner with two stand outs for the award in Alexis Davis and JoJo Calderwood, both of who went undefeated in 2013 and have beat some of the top women in their respective divisions. In the end after a group discussion we had our winner, Joanne Calderwood.

Jojo had her first professional MMA fight only last year and is now 8-0. She has had four fights in 2013 three of which were under the Invicta FC banner winning each by unanimous division. She also fought in her home town of Glasgow, Scotland fighting for Cage Warriors back in April where she won by TKO. Then possibly the biggest news for JoJo came only a couple of weeks ago when she found out her Invicta FC contract had been acquired by the UFC making her only the second Scottish fighter to be on the books with the UFC, the first was her Dinky Ninjas team mate Rob Whiteford. She also becomes the second British woman to have signed for the UFC with Rosi Sexton the first.

2013 has been a great year for JoJo but 2014 could be a year which defines her whole career. She has the opportunity to become the UK's first UFC champion and in all honesty is our best hope, with only Michael Bisping and Brad Pickett as our other real contenders.

Congratulations Jojo you have been crowned Kingdom MMA’s 2013 female fighter of the year – Jojo we salute you.

Fighter vs Writer - UFC 168 Calderwood vs Heard

Fighter vs Writer: JoJo Calderwood - UFC 168
by Ben Heather @benheather

Welcome to another Kingdom MMA fighter vs writer challenge.

For this feature we challenge some of the biggest names from the world of MMA to give us their picks and fight outcomes for specific MMA events. Then they will be challenged by one of our writers, who will make their own predictions. Previously we have challenged the likes of Dustin Poirier, Luke Barnatt, Jim Alers, Mike Wilkinson, Phil Harris, Cathal Pendred and Michael Wootten.

This weeks opponent was the perfect woman for the job. After recently taking her MMA record to 8-0 at Invicta 7 with a unanimous decision win over Katja Kankaanpaa she was back in the news when Dana White told the world that the UFC will now have a 115lb womens division and that she was one of 11 women to have signed for the UFC. She is of course Jojo Calderwood and this weekend she will compete against our newest writer Sam Heard.

The Scoring
If you predict the correct winner of the fight you will get one point and if you predict the correct method of victory you will get an extra point. However, if the fight ends in a stoppage and you predict the round as well the method you could earn a third bonus point. If the fight goes the distance you can only earn a maximum of two points.

The Predictions

Chris Weidman vs Anderson Silva

Calderwood: I think Silva will be back to his best for this fight with a point to prove.

Prediction: Anderson Silva - TKO Round 3 

Heard: The moment we’ve all been waiting for! I believe we will see a more serious, focused Anderson Silva who will keep the clowning to a minimum. Until he got caught in the first fight, Anderson seemed quicker than Weidman and was landing hard leg kicks at will. I certainly wouldn’t be surprised if Anderson was able to “give back” the KO to Weidman.

However, as much as it pains me to say it, I think Weidman has the edge here. Historically, championship rematches have never failed the older fighter and though Silva is without doubt the GOAT there is no escaping the fact that he is nearing 40. Weidman is a relentless wrestler who happens to also have decent stand-up and even better submissions; everyone knows that wrestlers are the worst matchups for Anderson. He nearly got that heel hook in the first round of their first clash and I believe we could see Anderson, who could well just have accepted the rematch he initially showed no interest in for the big cheque, tap out.

Prediction: Chris Weidman - Submission Round 4

Ronda Rousey vs Miesha Tate

Calderwood: I'd love to see this go a bit but Ronda is pretty determined and it's going to go the way everyone expects.

Prediction: Ronda Rousey - Armbar Round 2

Heard: The bookies would have you believe this fight is certain to end with Ronda’s hand raised. I really think that they’re undervaluing Miesha Tate here. In their first match Miesha looked like she had an edge on the feet and displayed some brilliant counter-grappling to resist Ronda’s first attempt at the Armbar and even take the Bantamweight Champion’s back.

So what’s changed since then? Ronda seems to be spending an increasing amount of time on her acting career. There’s no doubting Tate seems more focused on her MMA career at this stage. Added to this, Rousey’s nature as a fighter who’s ultra-specialised in one very focused area means that training and a game plan can be focused on countering her speciality; namely that awesome Armbar of hers. I’m going to go out on a limb and predict that not only does Miesha take Ronda into the uncharted territories of the 2nd and 3rd round put that she pulls off the upset.

Prediction: Miesha Tate - Unanimous Decision

Josh Barnett vs Travis Browne

Calderwood: I think Barnett is one of the best heavyweight submission guys, he's dealt with tall opponents before and I think once he gets past Browne's range I think the sub will come.

Prediction: Josh Barnett - Submission Round 2

Heard: Despite coming off two huge wins, I’m not entirely sold on Travis Browne. Though he went on to KO Overeem with that brilliant front kick, I think Overeem did enough to get the stoppage as there were stages where Browne seemed defenceless and have seen referees jump in for far less. Yes, he did beat Gonzaga but Barnett is a very different beast to the Brazillian, having competed at the top level throughout his whole career and has only ever lost to the very best.

I don’t think Barnett will manage to get the finish against Browne but I think he has an advantage in all areas. Browne’s experience is mainly limited to the first round while Barnett has gone all the way in a five round main event so expect Barnett to show better conditioning.


Prediction: Josh Barnett - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)

Jim Miller vs Fabricio Camoes

Calderwood: I don't know too much about Camoes, I like watching Jim Miller fight and I'm pretty sure he's coming off a loss so he will be even more dangerous.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision 

Heard: I believe this is a showcase fight for Miller with Fabricio being fed to the lions a bit. Camoes is 1-1 in the UFC and coming off a loss to inconsistent Melvin Guillard while Miller is arguably one of the best lightweights to have never had a shot at the title and is coming off a loss which he very nearly won ( and which was eventually overturned) to Pat Healy.

I think Miller has the tools to win comfortably.

Prediction: Jim Miller - Unanimous Decision (30-27, 30-27, 30, 27)

Dustin Poirier vs Diego Brandao

Calderwood: Looking forward to this fight, I think it will be competitive for a round or two but Brandao will gas leaving Poirier to win on points.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Unanimous Decision and FOTN

Heard: There’s no doubting that Brandao’s kamikaze aggression makes for entertaining fights but it makes it very difficult to have any faith in him as a pick. He has a tendency to rush out all guns blazing for the first round only to slow down ridiculously in the latter two thirds of the fight. This bad fight IQ won’t fair well against an athlete like Poirier.

Poirier survived and overcame the elite striking skills of Erik Koch in his last fight so should be able to weather the early storm of Diego Brandao. When Brandao inevitably gases I think Poirier should be able to implement his slick submission skills and get the win in the latter part of the fight, probably by armbar or his signature d'arce choke.

Prediction: Dustin Poirier - Submission Round 3


So that's our predictions for the fights, we will be live tweeting on Saturday night as always and we will keep you all informed as to how the challenge is going with latest scores throughout the main card.

Thanks again to JoJo for providing us with her picks for this weekends fights and it just leaves me to say.... May the best man or woman win!!

TUF 20 Preview: Sam Heard Previews The UFCs New Strawweight Division

TUF 20 Preview: Sam Heard Previews The UFCs New Strawweight Division
by Sam Heard - @SamHeard_

It has been a week since the UFC’s hugely discussed announcement that they would be introducing a Woman’s Strawweight division (106-155lbs), making it the tenth weight division to be featured on MMA’s premier promotion. To compete in this division, the UFC has signed 11 of Invicta’s most exciting Strawweight fighters. Equally exciting as this initial announcement was the development that these 11 fighters would be supplemented with a further 5 signings and would compete in the first ever all-women’s Ultimate Fighter. The winner of the show will become the inaugural UFC Strawweight champion. The stakes in a TUF show have never been higher; even in what I believe to be the most exciting entry into the series – ‘TUF 4: The Comeback’ – the prize was a title shot rather than the belt itself. To fight fans less familiar with Invicta, some of these new signings will be unfamiliar – rest assured they are certainly top-tier. Here is Kingdom MMA’s summary of the 11 new fighters and who to look out for when they compete on The Ultimate Fighter’s 20th instalment:

Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2)
Invicta’s reigning Strawweight champion must surely be one of the favourites to exchange her Invicta belt for UFC gold. Her strong collegiate-level wrestling base has been supplemented by improved striking and BJJ skills. Her only losses earlier in her career came via contentious Split-Decision and an unlucky Armbar submission.

Claudia “Claudinha” Gadelha (11-0)
Gadelha was supposed to challenge Esparza for her title only 10 days ago on the Invicta FC 7 card but was prevented by illness. Her flawless record alone is indicative of her prowess in the cage.  Gadelha may be seen as the Ronda Rousey of the Strawweight division, picking up 5 of her 11 wins by first round Armbar.

Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood (8-0)
Scotland’s own Joanne Calderwood has established a reputation as one of the most feared fighters in the Strawweight division. As is often the case with fighters hailing from the United Kingdom, JoJo is an explosive striker who turned to MMA after being a high level Kickboxing competitor. Though her last win at the aforementioned Invicta 7 event came via decision, 4 of her 8 wins have come via nasty KOs, certainly making her one to watch in the upcoming TUF competition.

Felice “Lil Bulldog” Herrig (9-5)
A popular character in the Invicta promotion thanks to her effervescent personality and entertaining promotion of fights, Lil Bulldog has bite behind her bark thanks to her background in high level Muay Thai. Sure to create some very juicy television when she goes into the TUF household.

Tecia “Tiny Tornado” Torres (4-0)
Though she has yet to achieve a stoppage in her 4 fight career, Torres’ training with American Top Team shows us how serious she takes her fight career. Known for possessing a very well rounded skillset, supplemented by her great natural athleticism. She achieved a Unanimous Decision victory over Felice Herrig on the Invicta 7 card – don’t be surprised if there’s still bad blood that’ll resurface in the house.

Juliana “Ju Thai” Lima (6-1)
Brazil’s Ju Thai has lived up to her nickname as a skilled Muay Thai specialist, with an all-round MMA game which has developed greatly in her last few ventures into the cage. Training under world renowned Vinicius Draculino has no doubt improved her skills exponentially.

Alex “Astro Girl” Chambers (4-1)
Formerly a fringe title contender in Invicta’s Atomweight division, Australia’s Chambers has agreed to move up to Strawweight to get a chance at competing in the UFC. With two first round KOs documenting her powerful striking, she is by no means a one-trick-pony as she has also shown to have some slick submissions.

Bec “Rowdy One” Hyatt (5-3)
The second Australian to have been added to the UFC’s Strawweight division, Hyatt has garnered a great deal of renown due to her love-her-or-hate-her ‘Mike Bisping-style’ effect on fans. With three of her five wins coming via submission, the Rowdy One has shown a great deal of skill on the matt despite Kickboxing having been her entry point into MMA.

Emily Kagan (3-1)
Training out of New Mexico with Greg Jackson, Kagan implements the smart fight IQ always associated with Jackson’s fighters. Though she is the most senior of the UFC’s Strawweight signings at 32, her professional MMA record is fairly thin. Don’t be fooled by this though as she has trained BJJ since the age of 18.

Rose “Thug Rose” Namajunas (2-1)
Thug Rose became the focus of the wider MMA world earlier this year with her amazing victory over Kathina Catron via Flying Armbar after just 12 seconds. I look forward to see what Namajunas will try to top that with, though at only 21 she has plenty of time to try. Attempting a demanding technique like that in her second professional fight demonstrates how comfortable she is in the cage.

Paige “12 Gauge” VanZant (3-1)
Aged only 19, VanZant has already got 4 fights under her belt and has bucket loads of potential. She’s recently joined Team Alpha Male’s new female contingent so expect to see her skills improve vastly while training alongside killers like Urijah Faber and Chad Mendes. Expect the 12 Gauge to be upgraded with explosive rounds and laser sight.

It’s safe to say that the twentieth series of The Ultimate Fighter will be one to look forward to. Not only is there that all-important UFC Championship at stake but it seems that the Strawweights who the UFC have signed are of a very high level – based on their records (which as we known isn’t the only indicator) they are superior fighters to the Female Bantamweights who have just competed on TUF 18, many of whom had far lesser MMA records. From an entertainment standpoint, the fighters will already know one another so when placed in the TUF house it’s safe to assume that pre-existing tensions will quickly rise to the surface. In a year which has seen gigantic steps forward in the world of Women’s MMA this development can be seen as the very ripe cherry on top.

Jo Jo Calderwood discusses being a part of the Women in Combat Sports Seminar at the UK MMA Expo

Jo Jo Calderwood chats to Kingdom MMA about being a part of the women in combat sports seminar at the UK MMA Expo

by Ben Heather @benheather

The UK MMA Expo is now only a week away. The Expo which is taking place in Manchester will happen the weekend of July 20th -21st. As part of the expo not only will you be able to meet some of the best UK MMA fighters but you can also train with some of them too. For all the details on the expo go to www.ukmmaexpo.co.uk

Kingdom will be bringing you some interviews with these fighters. The fighters will be discussing what they will be doing in each of the seminars and also how they believe the UK MMA Expo can help to promote the sport of MMA in the UK. We all love MMA and know how great a sport it is and hopefully the UK MMA Expo will go a long to to educating more people in the UK. Guys who come along as a casual fan or with a friend who loves MMA and go away wanting to know more about it, watch a live event or even decide that they would like to take it up as a hobby.

Next up in our series of interviews is Jo Jo Calderwood. Jo Jo has fought for some of the top MMA promotions including Cage Warriors and Invicta who she is signed to now on a long term deal. Jo Jo follows on from Rob Sinclair in our interviews discussing the seminar in which she is a part of at the UK MMA Expo.

Jo Jo makes up part of a panel in a seminar called "Women In Combat Sports" which takes place on the 21st July at 2pm. That seminar is free to go and watch and is a one hour Q&A seminar which includes Julie Kitchen 14x World Muay Thai Champ, Helen Currie 1st UK Female BJJ Black belt, Rosi Sexton the first UK women to fight for the UFC and former Cage Warriors Champion and of course Jo Jo Calderwood. Yesterday I asked her how she felt to be part of such a great panel for the seminar.

"I was really excited to be asked, I was going down to it anyway for the British no gi competition so this is like a bonus. I feel privileged to be included in a group with people I look up to like Rosi, Julie Kitchen and Helen Currie."

I know a lot of your UK fans are excited at the prospect of being able to see you at the seminar and potentially meet you too, are you excited about meeting your fans at the expo?

"Yeah everyone back home are really supportive and I'm always very humble to have their support... The UK MMA Expo will be a great experience and my way of getting to say thanks in person to the people."

Finally we spoke about what holding the seminar at the UK MMA Expo means to Jo Jo and how in her opinion the UK MMA Expo is helping the sport of MMA in the UK as well as female fighters.

"Hopefully the UK MMA Expo will open a lot of people's eyes to the real side of UK MMA  its not like how a lot of people perceive it. The last few years the level of professionalism in the sport has been raised thanks to stuff like the safe MMA programme. Hopefully it shows people that MMA is for everyone men, woman and kids and that it's here to stay." 

So that's what Jo Jo Calderwood thinks about being in her seminar as well as her opinion on the UK MMA Expo. Remember Jo Jo is part of the Women in Combat Sports Q&A Seminar on Sunday 21st July at 2pm and as she said she will also be taking part in the no gi competition so anyone going can see her in action on the day.

If you want to read our previous interview with Rob Sinclair about his Striking Against Submissions seminar then click here

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.

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.

Cage Warriors 53: Weigh in Results

Weigh in Results for Cage Warriors 53

by Ben Heather @benheather

Tomorrows Cage Warriors 53 main event is official as Jim Alers and Joni Salovaara are both on weight and will now fight for the vacant CWFC featherweight title at the Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.

The pair both weighed in under the 145lbs limit at this afternoon’s weigh ins, and will now clash in a bid to succeed Conor McGregor as the next champion of the Cage Warriors featherweight division. Conor McGregor of course vacated both the featherweight and lightweight titles when he signed for the UFC.

All of the other main card fighters made weight when they stepped on to the scales, with only Jean N’Doye failing to make the weight for his prelim fight against Richie Edgeworth.

N’Doye, who had been aiming to make the cut to bantamweight for the first time, could only weigh in at  137.2lbs and therefore surrenders 25 percent of his purse to Edgeworth.

Full list of results from todays weigh in can be found below.

MAIN CARD
Joni Salovaara (144.6lbs) v Jim Alers (144.4lbs) - For the vacant CWFC featherweight title
Sally Krumdiack (114.8lbs) v Joanne Calderwood (115.9lbs) - strawweight
Chris Scott (185lbs) v Mats Nilsson (184.8lbs) - middleweight
Jason Cooledge (155.7lbs) v Jason Ball (156lbs) - lightweight
Paul Marin (125.5lbs) v Neil Seery (125.1lbs) - flyweight
James Pennington (135.4lbs) v James Doolan (135.5lbs) - bantamweight

FACEBOOK PRELIMS
Richie Edgeworth (136lbs) v Jean N’Doye (137.2lbs)* - bantamweight
Joe Laurence (125.4lbs) v Mark Connor (125.9lbs) - flyweight
*Fighter missed contracted weight, surrendering 25 percent of his purse to his opponent

Remember to check out Kingdom MMA's interviews with some of the fighters on this card. Kingdom MMA had the pleasure to speak with Jim Alers, Joanne Calderwood, Jason Cooledge and James Doolan before their fights on Saturday night.

Keep Checking Kingdom MMA for the latest news from Cage Warriors, as well as all the other MMA news from the world of MMA.

Kingdom MMA Exclusive Interview with Joanne Calderwood ahead of Cage Warriors 53

Joanne Calderwood talks Cage Warriors 53, Invicta, her friendship with Stitch Duran plus much more

by Ben Heather @benheather

Kingdom MMA today had the pleasure of asking Joanne Calderwood (5-0 MMA) some questions ahead of her fight against Sally Krumdiack which is the co main event on this weekends Cage Warriors 53 card. The Cage Warriors 53 card will be held in Calderwood's home town of Glasgow, Scotland.

Ben: Hi Joanne, thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer some questions for Kingdom MMA.

Ben: Your last two fights were with Invicta, which you won both and now make your Cage Warriors debut on Saturday. What are your thoughts of fighting for Invicta?  It seems to be the promotion on everyone's lips lately.
Joanne: Its pretty remarkable what Invicta's achieved in just more than a year, but from their first one to their last one they are always asking what could make it better and how can they grow.

To be honest I don't know how it can be any better, being part of it is so amazing everything is looked at in great perceive esp the matchmaking. I think Invicta is going to be around for a long time and I hope this is inspiring the next generation of female mma fighters.

Ben: Is there much difference between fighting for Invicta in the states and fighting back home in the UK?
Joanne: No not really apart from the travelling. When I travel I take my home comforts with me (my sleeping bag and a few other items) I love going away and meeting new people, but also like that the guys at the gym don't need to wait up for me to fight in early hours of the morning with time difference and they can come watch live. Same with my mum, brother and sister I'm hoping in future I can bring them out to the states to see me fight there but for me a fights a fight regardless of where it is.

Ben: Do you feel more pressure fighting at home or when travelling to the States to fight under Invicta?
Joanne: No I don't like taking pressure on, in every day life there are enough stress/ worry/ pressure and I think there is always ways around this to help, like trying to stay positive and taking good vibes and using them.

I'm a great believer in things happen for a reason :) I prepare in a way that means there very little pressure on me.

Ben: Are you contracted to Invicta/ Cage Warriors or do you take each fight as it comes on a single fight contract?
Joanne: I'm contracted to Invicta, but this is yet another reason why Invicta is so great they agreed to me fighting on Cage Warriors which is a great opportunity as its one of the top European shows. They know I want to stay active but I will be representing Invicta and I shall be back in the states for Invicta 6.

Ben: Is the fight with Bec Hyatt a fight which you would still like, as it was due to happen at Invicta 4 before she was moved up to the main event?
Joanne: I'm not seeing past Saturday right now. But I know my future fights are in the good hands of Janet the matchmaker at Invicta and my dangerous bastards fight management.

There's been a couple names mentioned to me for the next Invicta, none of which have been Bec's though.

Ben: We have noticed on twitter that you have built up a rapport with Stitch, He said you were an awesome fighter and he was highly complimentary of you. That has to mean a lot, coming from a guy who has wrapped the hands of the best fighters in the world and what's your opinion of Stitch?
Joanne: You know I wish he was my uncle, he's one of those family members that you'd look up to and never want to leave their company. When he wrapped my hands at Invicta 3 he told me about a hundred stories the time passed so quick ha it was awesome. He's a true gentlemen and to hear/read the words he spoke of me was cool. It will be cool seeing him at the next Invicta.

Ben: If the UFC called you tomorrow would you go up to 135lbs to fight in the UFC?
Joanne: No because I've made arrangements for this weekend lol. In all seriousness the only way i'll be going to the UFC is if its in the right circumstances ie not 20 lbs heavier than my weight. What's for you won't go by you. I'd definitely consider 125lbs though.

Ben: This weekend you will be fighting Sally krumdiack at cage warriors 53, what do you think of your opponent and despite her recent 2-4 record in her last 6 fights do you expect a tough test?
Joanne: Hell yea, this girl is certainly not coming for the Scottish weather she will be coming here dangerous and wanting the win just as much as me.....but I will be ready. She's been around a long time and fought some excellent girls, her styles different to any the other girls I've faced so far. I expect a good fight.

Ben: Being a feared striker do you think your opponent will look to take you down at the earliest opportunity?
Joanne: I think my opponent is confident in her stand up and also being well rounded and it being an MMA fight I will expect it to go to the ground like I always do. In my first five fights any time fights have hit the ground it's been me that's took it there.

Ben: It seemed like Cage Warriors struggled to find you an opponent for this fight, does that give you confidence as by the sounds of it not many people want to get into the cage with you.
Joanne: They did struggle and its been like that from day one, I don't take it as confidence I take it and work with it.

Ben: Your partner James Doolan is also fighting on the card, is this something that has happened before and will you find it strange to be on the same fight card with him?
Joanne: This is a great experience for myself and James. We have both worked even harder this fight camp, pushing each other and sharing thoughts that we probably never got the chance to do before....not to mention its so much easier cooking for the both of us on diets. This is the first and probably last time, its something we can always look back on.

Ben: You will be fighting in Glasgow for the third time in your career the previous two time you have stopped your opponent, will you be looking to do the same again and how do you think you have the best chance of doing this?
Joanne: I've gone over the fight so many ways, I love this about the fighting sport you just never know what's going to happen all I can do is have the best fight camp to date and then be ready for the stoppage/ sub or even decision by performing on Saturday. I am always looking to finish fights though so Saturday won't be any different.

Ben: How did you find the transition from kick boxing to MMA and how did it originally happen?
Joanne: I'm from a Muay Thai background and was training at the griphouse gym that is also home to the dinky ninjas so I just got into it cause I wanted to try a different discipline and loved it.

Ben: Have you finished with kick boxing or do you still intend on doing both?
Joanne: I do intend to have at least one Muay Thai fight a year, but to be honest I don't really know where Thai boxing stands in my views anymore, I set out to fight as many of the best girls as possible not as many 'world champions ' who aren't even the best fighters in their own country. To be honest the politics and at times unprofessionalism in Muay Thai sickened me a bit.

Ben: Finally for people who have not seen Joanne Calderwood fight before can you tell them what they can expect to see on Saturday night.
Joanne: Funky hair cut....the look of someone that should be in secondary school and would be an easy picking for a bully Haha....but inside there is a badmofo and she will be ready for war.

Ben: Would you like to say thanks to anyone?
Joanne: Thanks for the interview! Thanks to my sponsors sandee Thailand, devils own, stark, funky gums, physio effect, SAS nutrition and thanks to everyone at the Griphouse gym and higher level gym!

Thank you for your time and for answering all of the questions for Kingdom MMA.

Video: Joanne Calderwood 'You Don’t Have To Be Loud To Be Heard’ Documentary

'You Don’t Have To Be Loud To Be Heard’

Ahead of her Cage Warriors debut in her home country, Scotland on Saturday April 14th, Joanne Calderwood (5-0) sat down with Cage Warriors to produce an insightful documentary looking at the 26-year-old strawweight’s preparations at the Griphouse gym in Glasgow for her upcoming bout against Sally Krumdiack.

Currently ranked 8th in the world at Stawweight, Calderwood features in the co-main event at Cage Warriors 53 at Kelvin Hall, Glasgow. 

'You don't have to be loud to be heard' is produced by Tommy Lakes, and is a must watch for all Cage Warrior, UK MMA, and Womens MMA fans alike.
 
Joanne Calderwood: 'You Don’t Have To Be Loud To Be Heard’

More more on Cage Warriors 53, stay tuned to the Calendar section on our site.

3 Fights Added to Cage Warriors 53 Including Joanne Calderwood vs. Sally Krumdiack

A Strawweight bout Joanne Calderwood (5-0) and Sally Krumdiack (9-6) has been confirmed as the co-main event for Cage Warriors 53, which takes place April 13th at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow, Scotland.

Calderwood, a Muay Thai Vet who hold a 19-2 kickboxing record before beginning her career in MMA, will look to extend her Pro MMA record to 6 and 0 - which includes 2 wins under the Invicta FC banner, in her native Scotland when she takes on American Sally Kumdiack, who returns to the promotion for the first time since her TKO loss to Rossi Sexton.

Other additions to the card include lightweights Jason Ball (19-11) vs. Jason Cooledge (7-3) and flyweights Paul Marin (5-2) vs. Neil Seery (11-9).

Ball, who has faced the creme of the UK lightweight scene, enters the bout having just picked submission victory over Craig Allen at Bamma 12, snapping a 3 fight losing streak which included losses to Colin Fletcher, Andre Winner, and Leonardro Santos.

His opponent, Cooledge who is currently enjoying a 3-1 run, will be making his promotional debut at Cage Warriors 53.

Cage Warriors 53 also sees Paul Marin, a Romanian fighter, who returns to the cage following a loss to Paul McVeigh at Cage Warriors 52, take on Neil Seery, an Irishman who's is currently on a 4-1 run.

The latest Cage Warriors 53 card includes:
Jim Alers vs. Joni Salovaara - for vacant featherweight title
Joanne Calderwood vs. Sally Krumdiack
Mats Nilsson vs. Chris Scott
Jason Ball vs. Jason Cooledge
Paul Marin vs. Neil Seery
James Doolan vs. James Pennington

For More on Cage Warriors 53, stay tune to the Calendar section on our site.