In a fight that could decide who gets a flyweight title fight next, Joanne Calderwood and Lauren Murphy will face off at UFC’s June 12th pay-per-view event, per a report from Nolan King of MMA Junkie.
The fight joins the UFC 263 lineup, which does not have a confirmed location at the moment.
Calderwood was meant to get a title shot in 2020, being booked for a June bout against Valentina Shevchenko. That fight never ended up happening, as Shevchenko eventually withdrew due to injury.
Calderwood had her first-place spot for a title fight taken later in the year, as Jennifer Maia submitted her within a round with an armbar in August. The win cemented Maia as the next title contender. Maia has since gone on to lose a fight against Shevchenko via unanimous decision.
Calderwood has returned to the win column since then, defeating Jessica Eye via decision in January.
Murphy finds herself possibly one step away from a title shot after earning four wins in the past two years. She picked up her third victory of 2020 in October, submitting short-notice opponent Liliya Shakirova with a rear naked choke.
UFC’s other flyweight division is expected to be showcased in the main event of UFC 263, as 125-pound champ Deiveson Figueiredo will fight Brandon Moreno in a rematch.
Here are the bouts that have been reported for the card thus far.
Bout 5: Deiveson Figueiredo (20-1-1) vs. Brandon Moreno (18-5-2) (UFC Flyweight Championship)
Bout 4: Fares Ziam (11-3) vs. Luigi Vendramini (9-1) (Lightweight)
Bout 3: Hakeem Dawodu (12-1-1) vs. Movsar Evloev (14-0) (Featherweight)
Bout 2: Karol Rosa (14-3) vs. Sijara Eubanks (6-6) (Bantamweight)
Bout 1: Lauren Murphy (14-4) vs. Joanne Calderwood (15-5) (Flyweight)
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