CALVILLO vs. CALDERWOOD

Two spinning-back fists at THE SAME TIME!!! @Cyn_Calvillo @DrKneevil#UFCGlasgow pic.twitter.com/BLehfZwHfg

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2017

Rising strawweight star Cynthia Calvillo made it three for three in the Octagon for 2017, and she had to travel to The SSE Hydro in Glasgow to do it, beating hometown favorite Joanne Calderwood via unanimous decision in Sunday’s UFC Fight Night co-main event.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 29-28 for the No. 14-ranked Calvillo, now 6-0. The No. 8-ranked Calderwood, who missed weight for the fight at 118 pounds, falls to 11-3.

Calderwood and Calvillo kept it standing for much of the first round, with little significant scoring coming from either fighter. With 45 seconds left in the frame, though, Calvillo sprang into action, taking Calderwood to the mat. While there, Calvillo took her opponent’s back, and while Calderwood scrambled out of that trouble, she wound up into some more difficulty as Calvillo nearly got her arm before the horn sounded.

Outside of being on the receiving end of a bloody nose, Calderwood had a solid second round thanks to range-finding kicks and a spinning elbow. Calvillo got in a few shots, but not enough to change the course of the frame.

The third round was close as well, but it was Calvillo who may have sealed the deal with a late takedown and rear naked choke attempt.

FELDER vs. RAY

That elbow tho ……@FelderPaul #UFCGlasgow pic.twitter.com/UBpUjqdgwY

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2017

Dedicating his fight with Scotland’s Stevie Ray to his recently deceased father, lightweight up and comer Paul Felder certainly made dad proud with an emotional first-round finish of his opponent.

A good part of the opening frame was spent in the clinch against the fence as Ray tried to implement his grappling game, but with under two minutes left, Felder scored with a flush left knee that put Ray on the canvas. Ray took several hard follow-up shots, and while he weathered the initial storm, two right elbows ended the bout, with referee Grant Waterman stepping in at 3:57 of round one.

With the win, Philadelphia’s Felder improves to 14-3; Fife’s Ray falls to 21-7.

MARSHMAN vs. JANES

Welsh banger Jack Marshman pounded out a close, but unanimous, decision over Canada’s Ryan Janes in middleweight action.

Marshman went on the hunt as soon as the bout began, and he stalked Janes throughout. That doesn’t mean it was a one-sided frame, though, as Janes got in several hard shots on Marshman. Yet the more frequent and telling blows were landed by the Welshman in the first five minutes.

Both fighters had their moments at long range in the second round, Marshman again holding the lead, but Janes was able to do some good work in the clinch, closing the scoring gap.

In the third, Janes surged late with some flush punches in the final minute, but it wasn’t enough to pull it out on the scorecards, which read 29-28 across the board for “The Hammer.

With the win, Marshman moves to 22-6; Janes falls to 9-3.

ROUNTREE JR. vs. CRAIG

Kicks and Hammerfists! Khalil Rountree finishes off Paul Craig in impressive fashion! WOW! #UFCGlasgow https://t.co/7eShELfcb3

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 16, 2017

Former Ultimate Fighter finalist Khalil Rountree Jr. earned his second consecutive KO win in the Octagon, halting Coatbridge’s Paul Craig in the first round of their light heavyweight bout.

Both fighters were patient in the opening round, Craig throwing kicks while Rountree sought a home for his left hand. Before the end of the frame, he landed that left twice and jarred Craig, but it was in the closing seconds that he finished the fight with it, as he dropped his opponent and then scored with a series of shots that brought in referee Leon Roberts to call a stop to the bout at 4:56 of round one.

With the win, Las Vegas’ Rountree improves to 7-2; Craig falls to 9-2.

WILLIS vs. MULHERON

Heavyweight newcomers Justin Willis and James Mulheron kicked off the main card, with Willis taking a shutout three-round decision win.

All three judges saw it 30-27.

Willis mixed things up nicely in the first two rounds, as he fired off leg kicks, landed punches and scored takedowns as well, with Mulheron (11-2) having no answers for his versatile foe on the mat or the feet. Mulheron was able to put a little offense together in the clinch in the final frame, but it wasn’t enough to get the attention of Willis, who improved to 5-1 with the win.

ROBERTS vs. NASH

Liverpool welterweight Danny Roberts nabbed his third Octagon victory at The SSE Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday, stopping Detroit’s Bobby Nash in the second round of their UFC Fight Night bout.

Roberts’ striking was on target in the first round, but Nash was right behind him thanks to some hard kicks, but it was two takedowns in the final two minutes that left Roberts with plenty to think about it.

But by round two, Roberts was smoothly avoiding takedown attempts, and as Nash tired, his defense opened up, allowing a left hand by the Brit to put him on the deck with a little over a minute left. A stunned Nash took a couple ground strikes, and that was it, as referee Rich Mitchell stopped the contest at 3:59 of the second frame.

SEERY vs. PANTOJA

„This guy is a legend. Me and him left it all in the cage.“ @PantojaMMA #UFCGlasgow pic.twitter.com/3tvK1M12wb

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2017

Neil Seery’s final MMA fight didn’t end with the result he wanted, but the Dublin flyweight went out fighting in his clash against Alexandre Pantoja, who secured the win via third-round submission.

The 37-year-old Seery, a fighter’s fighter who always gave his all inside the Octagon, retires with a 16-13 pro record.

Seery was Seery in the first round, pressing forward and staying busy, but Pantoja was even busier, and he landed several punches, kicks and knees to take an early lead. By the midway point of the second round, though, it was the Irishman beginning to land more of his blows, and the tide was slowly turning.

Not surprisingly, with Seery in the last round of his career, he came out slugging for the third frame, but Pantoja smartly broke up the exchanges with a takedown. Soon, Pantoja was in the mount, and then he took Seery’s back. A rear naked choke followed, forcing Seery to tap out at 2:31 of the final frame.

The No. 14-ranked Pantoja improves to 18-2 with the win.

BOFANDO vs. WARD

It was a bizarre finish, but welterweight debutant Galore Bofando will take it, as he slammed his way to a first-round knockout of Charlie Ward.

Bofando fired off kicks from all angles as the bout began, giving Ward few chances to respond. With three minutes left, the Irishman did get close enough to clinch with his opponent, but when Bofando threw him to the mat, Ward landed on his head and was stunned. Bofando capitalized with follow-up strikes, prompting referee Marc Goddard to halt the bout at the 2:10.

London’s Bofando moves to 5-2; Dublin’s Ward falls to 3-3.

HENRY vs. TEYMUR

Edinburgh’s Danny Henry thrilled his home country fans in his lightweight bout against Daniel Teymur, getting through some rough early moments to win a unanimous decision in the matchup of Octagon newcomers.

Scores were 29-28 twice and 29-26.

A big right hand got things going in a hurry for Sweden’s Teymur (6-1), but Henry shook off the blow and fired back with a right of his own. The accurate and busy Teymur continued to land, and only Henry’s steel chin kept him in the fight. With under three minutes left, the bout went to the mat, but after a stall in the action, referee Grant Waterman restarted the bout with a minute remaining.

In the second round for the first time in his career, Teymur seemed to be okay cardio wise as he continued to throw strikes with abandon. But midway through the round, Henry stunned Teymur and began to take over, nearly finishing the bout with strikes and then with a rear naked choke.

With the crowd cheering him on, Henry (11-2) calmly attacked the game but exhausted Teymur, and in the second minute the bout went back to the mat, with “The Hatchet” looking for the submission in between ground strikes. Remarkably, Teymur survived the round, but the win clearly went to Henry.

JOHNS vs. MORALES

With the early takedown! @36Johns slams Albert Morales to the #UFCGlasgow canvas pic.twitter.com/18D2OyqUjx

— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 16, 2017

In a battle of bantamweight prospects, Brett Johns remained unbeaten with a shutout three-round unanimous decision over Albert Morales.

Scores were 30-27 twice and 30-25.

After some even standup exchanges to start the bout, Johns took the fight to the mat at the one-minute mark and he kept Morales pinned there for the rest of the round, using his ground and pound attack to nullify the attack of the Californian.

There was more of the same in the second and third, with Johns using solid striking to set up a dominating ground assault, and while an arm triangle attempt by the Welshman came up short, there was no question who the winner was when the final scores were tallied.

With the win, Swansea’s Johns moves to 14-0; Morales, who was a late replacement for Mitch Gagnon, falls to 7-2-1.

SMITH vs. LEMOS

Bantamweight veteran Leslie Smith delivered her usual furious attack in the opener, and while newcomer Amanda Lemos tried to keep up, “The Peacemaker” was too much as she scored a second-round TKO victory.

Lemos (6-1-1) got off to a fast start thanks to hard leg kicks and crisp counters, but by the middle of the frame, the Brazilian appeared to be tiring under the pressure of Smith. Lemos did get back on the board late, though, as she scored a takedown just before the horn.

The tireless Smith (10-7-1) kept the heat on as soon as round two started, and even though the Californian got cut over the right eye, she had Lemos almost completely on the defensive, and as the strikes added up without response, referee Rich Mitchell had no choice but to stop the fight at 2:53 of the second stanza.

LIGHTS! OUT!

Santiago Ponzinibbio gets the biggest win of his career with a HUGE KO over Gunnar Nelson! #UFCGlasgow https://t.co/FTyjGX5j2z

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 16, 2017

Co-main: Cynthia Calvillo def. Joanne Calderwood
Strawweight super prospect Cynthia Calvillo continues rise at 115 pounds after taking a unanimous decision win vs. Joanne Calderwood, 30-27, 30-27, 29-28. Calvillo set the tone in the fight, landing some of the bigger shots in the exchanges. Calderwood’s nose was bloodied with a nice left hook in the second round and Calvillo went back to the well with a 1-2 punch combo to the body and then upstairs. Calvillo improves to 6-0 overall and a perfect 3-0 in the UFC.

THEY SAID IT:
Cynthia Calvillo: “I feel good. I wish I could have got the finish but I got the win so ultimately that’s what matters. Two times I had that choke in though. If I’d had 10 more seconds she would have been done, she would have been tapped out. That choke was in deep. Literally as soon I heard the bell ring all I heard was her breathing, like she felt so much relief. She was done for. This is not a traditional striking match, you know, this is MMA and I’m going to do what I’ve got to do to win. I feel like I landed the cleaner shots; you could tell by the way her face looked. I have literally got nothing on my face. I blocked most of it. I did what I needed to do to win but I wish I could have got the finish. I’d like to get another fight before the end of the year. I want to keep on climbing up those rankings – keep getting better, keep evolving and pretty much just close up all the holes in my game and become the best fighter I can be so that I can be world champion. I want to fight the very best because I don’t want there to be any question that I’m the best in the world, and that’s what I want to become – the best in the world.“

OOOHHHH!! Strong knee sets up the KO for @FelderPaul #UFCGlasgow pic.twitter.com/qfE3S7xSOX

— UFC (@ufc) July 16, 2017

Jack Marshman def. Ryan Janes
Despite a late flurry from Ryan Janes who landed more overall strikes (113-86), Jack Marshman survived by landing more significant strikes (80-74) and excellent counter-boxing to come away with the unanimous decision, 29-28, 29-28, 29-28.

THEY SAID IT:
Jack Marshman: “He pushed me a bit in the third but I felt I took the first two rounds, easy. He’s got an iron chin. Every time you land on him, he just walks through it. I had a sore rib – something I picked up in training – so all he’d have to do is touch it and I could feel it. He’s one of these guys, he gets hit loads. I was adamant that the guys who had hit him before just didn’t have as much power as I do and that I was going to knock him out but I was landing good shots on him and he just walked forward like a robot. It was cool to hear the crowd. I know we took a good crowd up from Wales but with the Celtic connection between the Scottish and the Welsh, it was probably more Scottish people cheering, which is awesome. Next I’d love to fight in October in Poland. That would make sense time-wise. That would be absolutely perfect for me.“

Kicks and Hammerfists! Khalil Rountree finishes off Paul Craig in impressive fashion! WOW! #UFCGlasgow https://t.co/7eShELfcb3

— FOX Sports: UFC (@UFCONFOX) July 16, 2017

Justin Willis def. James Mulheron
Justin Willis landed three takedowns and out-struck James Mulheron, 60-56 to earn the unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-27.

THEY SAID IT:
Justin Willis: “I think that the first fight jitters in the UFC is a real thing. I had to come in here, compose myself and get that W. The guy was ready to go and he took a lot of left hands. I’m very, very surprised that he took that many left hands. I dominated every single minute except there were about 30 seconds where he had me against the cage but I snapped out of it and I took him down. Now that those jitters are out of the way, it’s time to take on anybody.“

Danny Roberts def. Bobby Nash
It took just one shot from Danny Roberts to finish the fight. He landed a titanic overhand left punch that sent Bobby Nash crashing to the ground and the fight was stopped after that by KO at 3:59 of the second round. Nash hung with the talented striker Roberts for the most part in the two rounds they exchanged. He landed a big takedown but Roberts maintained his composure and got it back to the feet. He landed a big left kick in the finishing sequence to the chest of Nash and that opened up the big finishing KO punch.

THEY SAID IT:
Danny Roberts: “I learned a lot from my previous performances. I came out, tried to stick to my guns and stay relaxed. I can be quite a fast starter so I just wanted to let him play into my hands, not rush, stay nice and relaxed and sooner or later I knew something was going to come. And then the finish came. To get a finish like that here in the UK is amazing. To have cheers like that but, again, to not rise up to the moment, it was just perfect for me. I don’t want any of my previous performances to be anything that can devalue or degrade me as an athlete because what I will always do is rise above adversity and I’ve proven it time and time and time again. I want to take every opportunity to move forwards from here on out and just keep moving up the ladder, making sure that I do everything I can to execute what I do and show pure dominance because I know that I’m here to go to the top.“

Alexandre Pantoja def. Neil Seery
Alexandre Pantoja looked like the young prospect against Neil Seery, making his last appearance in the Octagon. Seery called it quits and retired after a submission loss to Pantoja at 2:31 of the third round. It was a fun fight, as Pantoja really showed off his striking in the opening round, landing 53 of his 115 total significant strikes. Seery settled in in the second round, showing his veteran toughness by bringing the fight to Pantoja. But in the end, Pantoja was able to land a takedown and finish by submission.

THEY SAID IT:
Alexandre Pantoja: “I’m feeling drunk right now, I think it’s the adrenaline. I feel really good because this was a very hard fight for me. My opponent is a legend because he’s fought some very hard opponents. He’s a veteran. Every fight he is in is a war. I love that style. I go to the Octagon for a fight, you know; not just to win, not just to score points. And Neil gave me that kind of fight tonight. I think I’m ready for a top 5 or top 10 opponent now. This was a very good step forward for me.“
Neil Seery: “Do you know what, when I look back to where it all began, I’m glad I started when I did, and I’m glad it started that way. Back then, when I started, no-one ever gave me a chance. Nobody ever gave me a chance. So to think that I was able to move forward to this level…my coaches always believed in me and they made me believe in myself. When nobody gave me a chance, they did. It has just been a fantastic journey. I’m glad it’s ended now, though. The athletes who are in this sport now are just unbelievable so it’s the right time. I’ll live to fight another day, just not inside the Octagon. I’d like to thank every single one of the fans from the bottom of my heart. They’ve been brilliant. They’ve been there every step of the way and I can’t thank them enough for that.“

Galore Bofando def. Charlie Ward
Galore Bofando defended a takedown attempt from Charlie Ward while the two were in the clinch and as he threw Ward to the ground, the SBG product fell head first. He was knocked out cold on impact but Bofando swarmed with a flurry to ensure the finish and was given the win by TKO at 2:10 of the first round in his UFC debut.

THEY SAID IT:
Galore Bofando: “At the start I just tried to size him up a bit, test the distance and test how strong he was. When we got into the clinch I realised his legs were a bit weak so I was able to turn him over and I dumped him on his head. He was strong but it was pretty much what I was expecting from him, to be honest. Now we have to sit down as a team and discuss what’s next. There was talk of Artem Lobov before at 155lbs, which could be an interesting fight. I think I beat him.“

Danny Henry def. Daniel Teymur
In an early Fight of the Night contender, Danny Henry was able to do more damage to Daniel Teymur to secure the unanimous decision win, 29-28, 29-28, 29-26. Teymur came out in the first round landing big shots for a total of 47 significant strikes. Henry came back in the final two rounds and landed more than 60 significant strikes and a takedown that grounded Teymur for most of the final round to secure the win.

THEY SAID IT:
Danny Henry: “I’m quite a slow starter so I sometimes takes a couple of shots to wake up. I came back though and I felt I was the stronger fighter in the second and third, and I deserved the win. I knew he was tough, I knew he would load up too much on his punches and I knew he would get tired. He’s never been out of the first round. The way he fights, it uses a lot of energy so I knew if I got out of the first, that he would slow down and it would play into my hands a little bit. The coach gave me a good plan as usual and it all worked out. It was fairytale stuff out there. A couple of years ago this was just a joking dream, I just did MMA for fun. Slowly but surely I’ve chipped away and got to this level and it’s massive. What a feeling, fairytale stuff.“

Brett Johns def. Albert Morales
Brett Johns landed three of six takedowns and controlled Albert Morales for more than 10 minutes on the ground to capture the unanimous decision win, 30-27, 30-27, 30-25. Johns also won the exchanges on the feet except for a few big shots from Morales. He ended up tallying 156 total strikes to just 61 for Morales. Johns improves to 2-0 in the UFC.

THEY SAID IT:
Brett Johns: “If I’m honest, in the second and third I didn’t feel the best. I know that I’m one of the best in the world at what I do and I knew that would get me through the fight. Sometimes when you walk in there, though, you just want to get it done and that’s what happened tonight. I wanted to put on a good performance so I apologise, although I thought it was quite a good fight. Now I want to take some time off if I’m honest. I want to be back in December so not too much time but it will be nice to take a couple of weeks off and enjoy a holiday.“

Leslie Smith def. Amanda Lemos
Leslie Smith just kept bringing the volume of strikes to Amanda Lemos, who was making her UFC debut, until the referee was forced to step in and stop the bout, giving Smith the win by TKO at 2:53 of the second round. Smith landed 52 of her 85 significant strikes in the second round in just under three minutes of the round. Smith has now won two in a row since her last loss up a weight class against Cris Cyborg.

THEY SAID IT:
Leslie Smith: “Man, she was solid. She had great leg kicks, she was intense and she fought like a pro inside there. It was nice to have such a high intensity challenge and I’m pretty happy about the whole thing. I called out Bethe because I think it would make a great fight. She got where she is because of her mouth and so I want to use everything that she’s worked for to get myself a bit higher up. I’ve been fighting for everything that I’ve got and she’s been able to talk her way to get to where she’s at, so I want what she’s got.“

Check out the weigh in results for UFC Fight Night Glasgow, which is headlined by Gunnar Nelson and Santiago Ponzinibbio, and airs live on FS1 from the Hydro Arena in Glasgow, Scotland on Sunday, July 16, 2017 at 3pm ET / 12pm PT.

GUNNAR NELSON VS SANTIAGO PONZINIBBIO

Gunnar Nelson and Santiago Ponzinibbio are two of the most intriguing fighters in the welterweight division, but for different reasons. Nelson is a technical wizard whose unique style is always compelling to watch. Ponzinibbio is more visceral in his attack, and he’s always down for a sweat and blood flying slugfest. In short, you need to watch this one on Sunday, because it’s likely that something memorable will happen.

JOANNE CALDERWOOD VS CYNTHIA CALVILLO

It’s crazy to think that Cynthia Calvillo has fought her entire pro career in the space of 11 months, and now she’s in this weekend’s co-main event against Joanne Calderwood. And while Calderwood has the experience and the home field advantage in Scotland, the result of this fight may come down to whether all this fighting has burned Calvillo out, or if she’s using this momentum as fuel to pick up her third UFC victory of 2017.

STEVIE RAY VS PAUL FELDER

Another member of the Scottish contingent representing their country in Glasgow is Stevie Ray, and “Braveheart” has shown off plenty of grit along with talent in his last two wins over Ross Pearson and Joe Lauzon. Paul Felder is another tough test for the Fife native, and while they’re evenly matched in a lot of ways, Felder’s superior power could decide things if he can land the right shots at the right time.

JACK MARSHMAN VS RYAN JANES

If you didn’t know who Jack Marshman was before his UFC debut win over Magnus Cedenblad last November, you probably became an instant fan after his gritty and exciting Performance of the Night win. Things didn’t work out for “The Hammer” in February against Thiago Santos, but he can get back on track if he can get by underrated Canadian Ryan Janes.

KHALIL ROUNTREE JR. VS PAUL CRAIG

Despite his recent loss to Tyson Pedro, Paul Craig is still considered to be one of the top prospects in the light heavyweight division, and he gets to remind people of that notion at home in Scotland. His opponent, Khalil Rountree Jr. also has a high upside in the sport, but Craig’s home field advantage and ground game may be too much for the former TUF finalist.

JAMES MULHERON VS JUSTIN WILLIS

At 6-1 and 5-10, respectively, Justin Willis and James Mulheron aren’t huge heavyweights by any means, but with nine of their combined 15 wins coming by knockout, these newcomers pack a punch. England’s Mulheron has more MMA experience, but Willis trains with the killers at AKA in San Jose, so this is as evenly matched as you can get.

DANNY ROBERTS VS BOBBY NASH

Danny Roberts has shown off a lot in three UFC bouts, and despite a loss in his last one against Mike Perry last October, there’s a lot of upside for the Brit, who gets to return to Europe for a bout with Bobby Nash, a tough customer who will be pushing Roberts all the way once the Octagon door closes.

ALEXANDRE PANTOJA VS NEIL SEERY

The MMA world says goodbye to Neil Seery on Sunday, as the Irish veteran has decided to retire after this weekend’s bout. In typical Seery style, he took on the toughest challenge possible in Alexandre Pantoja, and while the Brazilian prospect has to be favored here, remember that Seery has never been blown out of a fight in the UFC. So if he’s in the fight, he has every chance to win it and leave the Octagon for the last time with a performance to remember.

CHARLIE WARD VS GALORE BOFANDO

Newcomer Galore Bofando is a bit of a mystery man coming into this weekend’s bout with Charlie Ward, but he’s known as a pretty prolific striker, so it should be a fun fight to watch against SBG’s Ward, who likes to keep it standing as well.

DANNY HENRY VS DANIEL TEYMUR

A late addition to the card, newcomers Danny Henry and Daniel Teymur will throw down in a lightweight bout. Henry is a local favorite who made his name in South Africa, of all places, where he was a two-time champion in that country’s biggest promotion, EFC. Teymur is the older brother of UFC vet David Teymur, and his 6-0 record is as perfect as you can get it, as he’s finished all six wins in the first round.

BRETT JOHNS VS ALBERT MORALES

After losing a March bout with Ian Entwistle on the day of the fight, Brett Johns has called his training camp for this fight in Glasgow a 28-week one. And he even lost his original foe on Sunday when Mitch Gagnon fell out. Thankfully, Albert Morales stepped in to face the Welshman, and this should be a good scrap between two promising bantamweights.

LESLIE SMITH VS AMANDA LEMOS

Octagon newcomer Amanda Lemos is unbeaten and a knockout artist who likes to throw hard. Match her up with Leslie Smith and we will likely get a Leslie Smith fight. In other words, make sure you’re tuned in for this one, because it will surely be in the running for Fight of the Night honors.

Now it’s back to business for Floyd Mayweather and Conor McGregor. After trips to Los Angeles, Toronto and Brooklyn, the two combatants in the Aug. 26 megafight at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas traveled to London, England on Friday for the last stop in their World Tour, and it was more of the same from earlier this week.

There were plenty of insults, verbal sparring, staredowns and some off-color remarks, par for the course thus far from the UFC lightweight champion and the future boxing Hall of Famer. And while the crowd at The SSE Arena was as enthusiastic as any on the tour, it was clear that both fighters had begun to tire of each other.

That didn’t stop the birthday boy, McGregor, from rising to the occasion once more.

RELATED: Watch Dana White’s Video Blog as part of MayMac World Tour – Ep. 1 | Ep. 2 | Ep. 3 | Ep. 4 | Ep. 5

“We are six weeks out from the biggest fight in sporting history, and I’m 29 today,” he said. “Four years ago, I fought in London in front of about 500 people. Now I’m going to quadruple my net worth for half a fight. No one’s gonna kick, knee or elbow.”

It will be McGregor’s first pro boxing match though, and he will be doing it against the best boxer of this era in Mayweather (49-0), who, despite fighting the Irishman under Marquess of Queensbury rules, continued to poke at McGregor’s submission losses in MMA fights.

There was a tense moment when McGregor put his hand on Mayweather’s head, but the Las Vegas resident laughed it off.

“I ain’t gonna touch you until Aug. 26 when I knock you out,” said Mayweather, who put down the insults and showmanship when asked what this fight does for his legacy.

“In boxing, it’s all about taking chances,” he said. “And in boxing and contact sports, it’s about taking risks, and if you’re taking risks, take on the top guys.”

McGregor is a top guy in MMA. Will he be one in boxing is well? It’s the question the sporting world now wants to know. For a preview, just ask “The Notorious” one, who gave his prediction while standing in the three-sided boxing ring that was the site for Friday’s press conference.

“This is my first time in a boxing ring,” McGregor said. “And in six weeks, I rule boxing.”

In a sport that can be merciless, moments of pure beauty materialize every now and again. Such was the case when Joanne Calderwood battled back from adversity in Glasgow, Scotland and took the win, as well as Fight of the Night honors, in front of her home crowd at UFC Fight Night: Bisping vs. Leites.

Two years later, almost to the day, “JoJo” will take to the cage once again inside Glasgow’s SSE Hydro this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Nelson vs. Ponzinibbio. And despite having stepped into the cage everywhere from Las Vegas to New Delhi over the course of her career, the Kilmarnock native keeps a special place in her heart for a home crowd.

“It’s great to travel and to fight in various places, but nothing beats home,” Calderwood said. “Everyone gets behind you and supports you on that walk. I can’t wait for Sunday night.”

Waiting inside the Octagon in the blue corner will be Cynthia Calvillo. Should you not be familiar with the Sacramento, California native, you’re in good company.

“I only knew her once we were matched up,” Calderwood admitted regarding the UFC rookie who made her debut at UFC 209 in March.

Being featured on the Pay-Per-View main card in only her fourth professional fight, Calvillo impressed with a first-round rear naked choke against Amanda Cooper. A month later, Calvillo repeated that result in round three against Pearl Gonzalez, once again on a Pay-Per-View main card.

Five fights into her professional career, Calvillo has now made the long trip across the pond to take out Calderwood in front of her own people and bring the hype to a new level. Or to get sent back to California with her first professional loss in the bag.

“She’s exciting, she’s a great fighter and she’s got a lot of hype behind her,” Calderwood acknowledged. “I’m looking forward to the challenge but I also know that she hasn’t fought anyone like me. The hype won’t change anything when we’re in there on Sunday.”

“I met her in Dallas for the first time at the [Summer Kickoff] press conference in May. But I’m not here to make friends or to get to know their personality. I know that in the Octagon, we’ll both try to take each other out and take the win. Once I’m in the zone, it doesn’t make a difference.”

Scheduled for the co-main event this weekend, Calderwood will try to make good on what she had hoped to accomplish last year: a run at a UFC belt. She just isn’t sure yet which one it will be.

Coming off a stellar TKO win over former strawweight title challenger Valerie Letourneau last June, Calderwood faced future title challenger Jessica Andrade three months later at UFC 203, and lost.

“It was very frustrating for me,” Calderwood said, remembering the guillotine choke that catapulted Andrade into a title shot and shredded her own hopes for gold. “But I learned a lot of lessons that night – I think (the defeat) was meant to be. I’m still getting there.”

One of the lessons Calderwood learned was that running fight camps back to back is not a good idea at the top of the game.

“(I want to fight frequently) as long as I’m getting better, but last year it was too rushed to fight twice in three months. I guess maybe the UFC wanted to carry on the momentum (of the Letourneau win) and push me towards the top. But three months was too short. In hindsight, I think I shouldn’t have taken that fight.

“I do want to fight as much as I can. I’d like to fight every month, but when you’re fighting the best and you’ve got aspirations to fight for titles, then you have to hold yourself back a little bit in that regard sometimes.”

Another thing that bothers Calderwood is the cut to the 115-pound strawweight limit. Having fought Letourneau one division up at flyweight, Calderwood hopes to become a part of the UFC’s newest weight class once it’s open for business later this year. Cutting ten pounds less would’ve likely spared her another uncomfortable experience at UFC 203.

“I had a sore stomach from cutting weight. I didn’t feel so good but of course the loss was caused by technical mistakes. I had to take a loss but it’s a learning game.”

Aiming to make the most of a miserable situation, Calderwood can count on the support of competent coaches to make that goal a reality. The Scot is a regular guest at both Tristar Gym in Montreal, Quebec, Canada and at the high-end facility of Mjölnir MMA in Reykjavík, Iceland.

“(Tristar head coach) Firas Zahabi definitely helped me analyze the loss,” Calderwood said. “He’s an awesome coach. He’s so knowledgeable and he doesn’t just tell you what you did wrong, he shows it to you right on the mat. He’s always on the mats, rolling.”

“I’ve always traveled to Iceland, even when I was still training (full-time) in Scotland. I’ve got good training partners there and it’s an amazing complex. It’s one of the best in the world in MMA and I’ll continue to go there in the future, for sure.”

With passion, technique and the support of 10,000 compatriots, Calderwood will be looking to put what she’s learned since September into practice this weekend. For herself, her teams and the fans who will be cheering the Thai boxing expert on against the American grappler.

“They’re going to see a good fight between two exciting fighters. I’m going to try to keep it standing and do what I do. I’m looking forward to Sunday.”