Jessica Eye unfazed by Twitter critics complaining about Cynthia Calvillo headliner

Jessica Eye is paying no attention to negative comments about her upcoming main event.

Eye (15-7 MMA, 5-6 UFC), a former UFC flyweight title challenger, will headline her first UFC event when she takes on Cynthia Calvillo on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Outrage spread on social media because of the UFC’s choice for top billing, but Eye is unfazed by the criticism.

“I had no idea people didn’t like the main event, so as far as I’m concerned, I love it, and it’s making my life better. I worry about myself,” Eye told MMA Junkie. “It’s just kind of how I am, and it doesn’t matter what they think anyway. I’m still going to fight in the main event whether or not somebody gets pissed off on Twitter.”

After suffering a second-round knockout loss to UFC flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko a year ago, Eye rebounded with a big win over highly touted Viviane Araujo.

Currently ranked as the No. 1 contender in the UFC’s women’s 125-pound division, Eye is unsure where a win over Calvillo will put her. But the plan is to keep fighting until she’s awarded another crack at the title.

“I really don’t know what the narrative is outside of, like, I know that Cynthia beat (Joanne Calderwood) with a unanimous decision. So I could kind of see somewhere where they’re going with that. But all winning does this next fight is just – it gives me the ego boost I need. It gives me more ability just to be more confident in the things that I’m doing, all the things that I knew I was doing right.

“People are going to hate and have their opinion. I don’t live my life that way. If I cared what other people thought and what that was going to do for me, that would drive me nuts. But I know where I stand with the UFC. I know where I stand with the matchmakers, I know where I stand in my training, and until I get back in front of the title, I’ll just keep fighting anybody they give me.”

Eye has been actively training during the lockdown period, having already been preparing for her June 21 Submission Underground grappling match vs. Amanda Loewen, which she still plans on competing in.

“I feel really (expletive) strong, and I feel really healthy,” Eye said. “I just feel like I’m firing on all cylinders. I mean, I wouldn’t jump in front of a moving car.”