UFC 287: Pereira vs. Adesanya 2 will continue to roll from sunny Miami as we make a prediction and pick for this next Early Prelims fight in the Women's Strawweight (115 lb) Division. No. 15 Cynthia Calvillo will take on Mexico's Loopy Godinez. This fight has serious implications for the Strawweight rankings! Check out our UFC odds series for our Calvillo-Godinez prediction and pick.
Cynthia Calvillo is 9-5-1 in her MMA career and has a UFC record of 6-5-1. Her most notable win came against Jessica Eye on a Fight Night Main Card in 2020 where she looked to be the next challenger at 115 pounds. Since, however, Calvillo has lost her last four consecutive fights to some tough competition and will be in desperate need of a win here. Calvillo stands 5'4″ with a 64-inch reach.
Loopy Godinez is 8-3 in her professional career and has gone 3-3 since joining the UFC in 2021. Her debut was a loss to Jessica Penne where many saw her win on the scorecards. She dropped another fight to Luana Carolina, but responded well with back-to-back wins. She's coming off a most recent loss when she was out-struck on the feet by Angela Hill. She'll look to get back on track and take Calvillo's ranking in this one. Godinez stands 5'2″ and has a 61-inch reach.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 287 Odds: Cynthia Calvillo-Loopy Godinez Odds
Cynthia Calvillo: +225
Loopy Godinez: -290
Over (2.5) rounds: -350
Under (2.5) rounds: +250
How to Watch Cynthia Calvillo vs. Loopy Godinez
TV: ESPN+
Stream: ESPN App
Time: 6:00 p.m. ET/ 3:00 p.m. PT (Early Prelims)
*Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (click for a free trial)*
Why Cynthia Calvillo Will Win
Cynthia Calvillo was looking like the next real deal title challenger at 115, but went on a downward spiral after her loss to Katlyn Chookagian. She dropped her next fight in a bad knockout to Jessica Andrade. Her corner had to throw the towel during her fight against Andrea Lee. Coming off another loss, Calvillo will have her back against the wall to stay relevant in the rankings. She's a very fundamental fighter with a striking game that never really caught up with her wrestling. If she's able to keep the fight in the grappling department, she could see success against some of the division's best.
The biggest issue for Calvillo is that she hasn't been fighting to her full potential in her recent fights. She's hardly the same fighter we saw dominate Jessica Eye, so it'll be important for Calvillo to return to what got her ranked in the first place. If she can work behind a jab and avoid getting hit on her entries, she should enjoy a slight advantage in the wrestling if she can get the fight to the ground. She looked great at her weigh-in, so look for Calvillo to push the pace in this one.
Why Loopy Godinez Will Win
Loopy Godinez came into the UFC as a stellar prospect that was poised to run this division for a while. She has tremendous strength in her legs and is great at wrestling into judo throws. She hasn't been able to find a solid rhythm in her fights, however, as she's often fighting at the pace of her opponent instead of pushing the action. This can lend itself to her fighting down to her opponent's level, a costly tactic against any UFC-ranked fighter. Godinez will have to keep her pressure high and not waver in the striking. She'll be the faster fighter on her feet, so look for her to dart in and out with pesky shots.
Godinez will win this fight if she can stay fundamental in her striking. As the heavy favorite, odds makers are expecting her to control the fight on the feet and win her way to a decision. She'll have to do a good job in stuffing the wrestling attack of Calvillo and stifling her in her own game. On the feet, Godniez should be able to do enough to keep Calvillo at range and hurt her with popping shots down the middle.
Final Cynthia Calvillo-Loopy Godinez Prediction & Pick
Cynthia Calvillo can easily win this fight if she fights anything like the 2020-version of herself. She's ranked for a reason and she's put up fights against some of the better competition in the division. The competition hasn't been nearly as strong for Godinez, so look for her to struggle at points with the veteran. We'll side with Godinez for the prediction here, however I don't feel great picking it. Let's instead take this one to end in a draw as something weird is bound to happen at some point of the night.
Final Cynthia Calvillo-Loopy Godinez Prediction & Pick: DRAW (+5000)
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