Cynthia Calvillo wants title shot with win over Katlyn Chookagian at UFC 255

Cynthia Calvillo thinks she’s close to UFC gold.

The UFC women’s flyweight contender is out to earn a shot at the title Saturday at UFC 255 in Las Vegas when she takes on former title challenger Katlyn Chookagian (14-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) on the pay-per-view main card. Calvillo (9-1-1 MMA, 6-1-1 UFC) thinks it’s a two-horse race to the 125-pound belt and she likes her chances of getting the next crack at the champion.

“If it’s not Jessica Andrade, I think it will be me,” Calvillo said in Spanish on Monday’s episode of Hablemos MMA. “Lauren Murphy having taken that last fight against someone new who wasn’t in the rankings, because she didn’t want to wait for me, I don’t think she deserves a fight for the title. I think she needs one more.

“So me, having beat No. 1 and if I beat No. 2 (Chookagian), I should get the next shot. Obviously, Jessica Andrade had her debut where she looked incredible and she picked up a first-round TKO over Katlyn Chookagian, who was No. 1 at the time. I would understand if they gave her the chance. But if it’s not her, I think they should give me the shot.”

The women’s flyweight title is up for grabs in the UFC 255 co-main event when champion Valentina Shevchenko defends her belt against Brazil’s Jennifer Maia. Calvillo predicted Shevchenko will retain her title.

Even if victorious against Chookagian on Saturday, the American Kickboxing Academy-based fighter knows Andrade could get the next shot at the champion given her impressive flyweight debut last month. If the UFC were to give the next title fight to Andrade, Calvillo is not going to sit out and wait for her turn.

“I want to be more active,” Calvillo said. “The last two or three years, I haven’t been that active. If they give me the chance to fight for the title, I’ll take it, but if they tell me to wait, I’m not going to wait. I want to keep fighting and fighting and winning. I want to be more active.”