Cynthia Calvillo, UFC 266 ceremonial weigh-in Credit: Gabriel Gonzalez/Cageside Press
Former UFC strawweight Cynthia Calvillo has announced her retirement from mixed martial arts.
Calvillo (10-6-1), who competed for the UFC from 2017 to 2023, was last in action a year ago, winning the HEX women’s flyweight championship in regional action. In her heyday, she was considered a contender at 115lbs, winning her first three bouts with the company before running into former (and future) women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza.
More wins would follow that setback, with Calvillo going 4-0-1 over her next five fights. Weight struggles, however, saw her miss weight in two of those fights, forcing a move up to flyweight.
After winning her debut in the flyweight division over former title challenger Jessica Eye, Calvillo dropped her next five contests. That spelled the end of her time in the UFC.
The 38-year old took to social media to announce her retirement on Monday.
“It’s time to say goodbye to a sport that I gave everything to and that I loved so much. I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet but life and opportunities that fizzled out has led me to pursue the next chapter in my life,” wrote Calvillo. “I just want to say thank you to every single person that helped me live this crazy dream of mine. To all the coaches that believed in me and spent countless hours making me the best I could I be, y’all don’t know how much it means to me.”
Tagging the UFC, CEO and President Dana White, plus matchmakers Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard, Calvillo concluded by saying “thanks for letting this little girl from East Side San Jose live her dream! It was f*cking dope being a superhero!”