More than two and a half years after they were first set to clash at Invicta FC 4, Joanne “JoJo” Calderwood and “Rowdy” Bec Rawlings will at last face off on July 18th at UFC Fight Night 72 in Calderwood’s hometown of Glasgow, Scotland. BT Sport announced the featured strawweight matchup today.
The planned 2013 bout between Calderwood and Rawlings was scrapped from Invicta FC 4 when injuries resulted in last-minute changes. Rawlings went on to challenge unsuccessfully for Invicta FC gold, while Calderwood defeated Livia “T-Rex” von Plettenberg. Both women are 1-1 in the UFC.
Calderwood (9-1-0) was viewed by many as an early favourite to win The Ultimate Fighter 20 this past year, but she was upset by tournament finalist “Thug” Rose Namajunas in the quarterfinal round. In her official Octagon debut in December, Calderwood showcased her elite striking skills en route to a well-deserved Unanimous Decision victory over former Deep Jewels champion Seo Hee Ham at the TUF 20 Finale. She appeared to be one win away from a title shot, but a submission loss to heavy underdog Maryna “The Iron Woman” Moroz at UFC Fight Night 64 delayed Calderwood’s path to the belt.
Rawlings (6-4-0) stepped up on short notice to face Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza for the Invicta FC Strawweight Championship at Invicta FC 4 and put forth a spirited effort in a five-round decision defeat. She split her next two fights for the promotion and signed on to compete on TUF 20 this past year, but Rawlings’s run on the show ended in the elimination round when she was defeated by Tecia “The Tiny Tornado” Torres. At the TUF 20 Finale, Rawlings dropped a decision to rival “Hurricane” Heather Clark, but she rebounded with a submission finish of Lisa Ellis at UFC Fight Night 65 earlier this month.
UFC Fight Night 72 takes place on July 18th at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland.
(Photo Credit: Esther Lin, AllElbows.com / InvictaFC.com)