There was no training in MMA or boxing back then, but it was clear that Godinez had a fighting spirit, one she got to start utilizing when she moved with her family to Canada as a teenager. Soon, it was MMA all day, and fast forward to the present, where she’s six fights into a UFC career that began in April of 2021. By the end of that calendar year, Godinez had four trips to the Octagon under her belt, and while 2022 was a light year with just a pair of bouts, it wasn’t a lost year for the strawweight standout.
“It’s not up to me, really; it’s up to the UFC,” she said when asked if she wanted to fight more last year. “But, at the same time, I do need time to get better, and to change as a fighter and as an athlete. And I’m so excited to step into the cage this time because I had so much time. And honestly, I feel like I have improved a lot and my body’s different and my strength is different. Everything kind of changed, and I also got older, too, so that helps mentally. And everything is just coming together. I feel better than ever.”
She’ll need to be firing on all cylinders if she wants to start 2023 with a win, as she’ll face a fighter returning to the division with one of the most deceiving records in the UFC in Cynthia Calvillo. And despite the California native’s current four-fight losing streak, Godinez knows what she’s in for in Miami.
“She’s a big name and has been around for few years now. I think she’s a really good fighter and I think it’s going to be a really good fight. But this fight is mine.”
There’s that Godinez confidence. As for her ideal 2023 schedule from here on out…
“We could do four or five,” she said.
And jumps out of a plane?
“Well, every time I fight, I’m going back, no matter what.”
