Joanne Calderwood was able to outstrike Jessica Eye tonight at UFC 257 to earn a unanimous decision victory.
Round One:
Leg kick for Calderwood as Eye wades in throwing a series of punches. Calderwood trying to work strikes from the clinch now.
They separate and then quickly go back into the clinch with Jojo again working strikes. Despite that Eye seems happy to work in the clinch and soon engages there again, pressing Calderwood up against the cage.
They separate again. Solid one-two for Calderwood snaps Eye’s head back. Good knee in close from Jojo. Eye presses her into the cage again.
Eye steps back to the center of the Octagon. Another exchange in close and Eye lands a right hand. More punches in the clinch from Eye and then again pushing Jojo to the cage.
Hard strikes exchanged up close and personal. Jojo works a knee to the body. Eye continually clinching up against the cage. Jojo able to land a couple of knees to the body, but then Eye lands a series of right hands.
Jojo working muay thai strikes as they separate again. Another knee and an elbow from Jojo in their latest clinch engagement.
Punches land for Eye. Finally they engage a little from range, with Eye landing a body punch. Body kick for Calderwood.
Elbow and then a leg kick from Calderwood. She lands another elbow. Final step-in right hand for Calderwood to end the round.
Round Two:
Solid body kick from Jojo and then punches upstairs. Eye trying to clinch as Jojo lands a right hand. leg kicks exchanged. Hard right hook for Calderwood.
Front kick upstairs for Calderwood. She’s landing repeatedly with a range of strikes early in this round. Eye with a kick attempt that Calderwood catches and puts her down with it, but doesn’t follow her to the mat.
Back up and Eye works strikes to the body from the clinch. Calderwood works a knee. Punch for Eye as she moves out of the clinch.
Solid jab for Eye. Leg kick for Calderwood. Body punch and then strikes upstairs for Eye. Hard knee to the body from Jojo and then a big knee to the head too.
Eye clinching up but Jojo punches her again with hard muay thai strikes. Body kick for Jojo. Now a jab. Eye with an inside leg kick.
Another jab for Jojo. Right hand from Eye. Spinning kick to the body from Calderwood. Now a jab. Exchange in close and Calderwood works a kick at the end of her combo.
Another clinch and both ladies exchanging strikes. Eye with a body strike. Spinning elbow from Jojo misses and then Eye capitalizes by landing a takedown.
Final 20 seconds and Eye not making too much from this advantageous position.
Round Three:
Kicks from Calderwood to start the final round. Eye punches her way into the clinch and presses her to the cage.
Eye trying to work a takedown, but nothing doing so far. The action stalling here against the cage. A minute passes with little in the way of progress for Eye on the takedown attempt.
Finally the ref breaks them up. Calderwood with a leg kick and then one to the body. Eye clinching and Jojo works some knees.
Back to striking range and then Eye attempts to clinch again. Calderwood lands a kick on the exit. Punch for Eye, head kick attempt from Jojo.
Right hand for Calderwood and then sprawls on an Eye takedown attempt. Front kick to the body for Calderwood. Now a knee stomp and punch behind it.
Another knee for Jojo. Clinch again and Calderwood lands a leg kick on the way out. Final 30 seconds. Spinning back elbow attempted from Jojo. She clinches up and lands a knee. A knee upstairs lands for Jojo and stops Eye in her tracks for a moment, and she’s now got a cut to the eye as the action continues in the final seconds of the fight.
Decision:
Eye worked to the clinch often in this fight, but Calderwood was getting the better of the striking exchanges both in close and particularly when they were fighting at a distance, as evidenced by the damage to her opponent’s face by the end, and that led her to a unanimous decision victory (30-27 x2, 29-28).
