The situation in the UFC women’s flyweight division is one of the more intriguing ones right now. One of the top-ranked names in the division, sitting at number two, is Cynthia Calvillo – and before now, she didn’t have a rank in the division at all. That’s because Calvillo is moving up from strawweight after having trouble making weight, and after picking up the win in the main event of UFC on ESPN 10, she’s been placed at the number two contender spot in the rankings.
Already, though, there are other fighters gunning for her position. That includes Lauren Murphy, who was victorious at UFC on ESPN 11 against Roxanne Modafferi. Murphy is at number seven in the rankings but like much of the division, fell when Calvillo was inserted at number two. That’s despite bouncing back from a 1-1 start in the division by winning her last three fights.
“I have the longest win streak in the flyweight division right now and all of my wins are over ranked opponents. Nobody else in the flyweight division can say that. I knocked out the No. 12 contender. I beat Andrea Lee, and she was ranked No. 7 and I was a 4-1 underdog in that fight,” Murphy pointed out after her victory. “I’m 4-1 in this division and my last three wins are over ranked opponents, my only loss is to someone that’s is now a bantamweight and she was undefeated at flyweight.”
As for who Murphy wants next? She’s not shying away from the challenge of taking on a top tier opponent.
“I definitely deserve a spot in the top five. I think I deserve a spot on the women’s pound-for-pound list and I want to fight Cynthia Calvillo next. She’s the girl to beat right now. She’s a really, really excellent fighter,” Murphy said.
Calvillo has a streak of her own going right now, however. She has a 9-1-1 record and her only loss is against Carla Esparza. She’s beaten well-known names, most recently Jessica Eye but also others such as Joanne Calderwood and Pearl Gonzalez.
She’s not an easy opponent by any means but that didn’t stop Murphy from speaking positively about her odds.
“She walked right into the division and she took the No. 2 spot and I think that’s a great matchup for me. I think I can beat her and I want to show everybody that I can,” Murphy continued.
She may have to wait her turn, however. With Calvillo coming in and unsettling the division right away, there’s a decent chance the rest of the top contenders will be gunning for her soon enough.