Former strawweight champion Carla Esparza brought Cynthia Calvillo’s winning streak to an end tonight on the pay-per-view portion of the UFC 219 broadcast in Las Vegas.
Round One:
Esparza unleashing some early punching combinations. Calvillo uncorks her right hand. Leg kick for Esparza. She looks for punches and Calvillo very nicely times a takedown off of that and lands it.
Calvillo working from half-guard and moving with urgency early in the fight. Esparza gets her back to full guard and soon after tries for an armbar attempt. It’s a solid attempt and Calvillo has to stay calm under pressure and then finds a way out, before settling into side control.
Big knee to the body from Calvillo from this position. Short elbows for her. Esparza attempts to spin out, but Calvillo keeps her down in the same position. She starts working some solid strikes towards the end of the round.
Esparza tries to escape and Calvillo initially stifles it and rains down more ground and pound, but then a scramble ensues and Calvillo tries to take her back, only for Esparza to end up on top and end the round landing offense of her own.
Round Two:
Nice punch from Esparza to start the round. Calvillo with an overhand. Solid leg kick for Esparza. Right hand for Calvillo, but there’s a harder one in response from Esparza.
Calvillo into the clinch now, but soon seperates and lands a strike to the head on the way out. Overhand for Calvillo as Esparza goes for a kick.
Calvillo with a right hand. Esparza tries for a takedown, but it’s stuffed by Calvillo. Esparza lands a punch. She probes for a takedown and again it doesn’t work out.
Solid punch lands for Esparza. Now it’s Calvillo who finds a home for a clean punch. Esparza lands a takedown, but Calvillo is quickly back up.
Back to striking they go and then Esparza gets Calvillo down again with a single-leg. Esparza immediately up and they continue looking for striking opportunities as the round comes to a close.
Round Three:
Both fighters let their hands go to start and it’s Calvillo who gets the better of it with a nice right. Another exchange and Esparza lands first, but Calvillo again connects at the end.
Calvillo into the clinch against the cage, but Esparza gets out of that and gotes back to striking range. leg kick for Esparza. And again.
Esparza uses punches tot set up another leg kick. Now a superman punch and a right hand. leg kick again for her. Calvillo’s punches coming up short. Esparza’s takedown attempt fails.
Surprising that Calvillo hasn’t gone for a takedown as she did successfully in the first round. Esparza pressuring with punches, keeping a good workrate in the final round.
Finally Calvillo goes for a takedown attempt and presses her opponent up against the cage in the process. Esparza thinking about a guillotine attempt, then breaks away from the clinch with a hook.
Calvillo lands a couple of left hands. Single-leg for Esparza gets Calvillo down, but she’s instantly back to her feet.
Final 15 seconds of the round and Esparza marches forward with a rapid-fire series of punches. Calvillo looking to fire back, but it’s Esparza who seized the late momentum their as we head to the judges scorecards.
Decision:
Calvillo started strongly with her work on the mat, but seemed to abandon that in the later rounds, while Esparza upped her work rate on the feet and mixed things up with the occasional takedown to get the better of the final 10 minutes of the fight and emerge with a unanimous decision victory (29-28 x3).
