Hitting like a girl

by Stuart Baxter

Mixed Martial Arts has grown vastly over the last decade, promotions such as UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) are putting on events several times a month, attracting huge audiences from around the world. In recent years we have also seen a rise in WMMA (Women’s Mixed Martial Arts).

Joanne Calderwood is the only female fighter in Scotland, and is quickly becoming one of the most exciting fighters in the 115lb division. She has remained undefeated since making her debut in February 2012. Despite having only five fights to her name she is one of the most talked about fighters in the sport.


Calderwood began her career in combat sports by accident: “At that time I was obsessed with swimming. My brother used to train Muay Thai (Thai Boxing). His training partner couldn’t make it one night, so my mum asked me if I would go along and keep him company. I really enjoyed that class, and soon after gave up swimming.”

Since giving up swimming she has earned a record of 19 wins and two losses. Both of these losses were in world title fights. In 2012, she finally managed to achieve her dream and took the ISKA (International Sport Kickboxing Association) world title after defeating defending champion Jenny Krigsman. Calderwood caught her Swedish opponent with a devastating elbow, opening up a cut to end the fight. She also dreamed of following in the footsteps of her team mates and competing in MMA.

 In February she made her debut at Glasgow’s “On Top” fight night. As expected she took the win by knockout in the opening round. It was clear that she was more than capable of holding her own in the cage as well as the ring.

Eight months later she signed a contract to fight for Invicta Fight Championship in Kansas – for a female fighter this is the big stage, her fight would be broadcast to millions of viewers across the world. Shortly after the three minute mark she caught her opponent, Ashley Cummins, with a knee to the body and sent her tumbling to the canvas, forcing the referee to call a stop to the fight. It wasn’t until her next fight that the MMA world really took notice.

She was scheduled to fight Livia Von Plettenberg, a fighter from the notorious Team Quest (home of some of the world’s top fighters). This was expected to be a tough fight for Calderwood but she made it look easy. From the opening bell she was fully in control of the fight, attacking Von Plettenberg with punches, kicks, elbows and knees. By the end of the three rounds we all knew what the judges would decide - she was declared the winner by unanimous decision, her fifth win in less than 12 months.

Social media site Twitter was flooded with Tweets complimenting Calderwood’s abilities in the cage. Big name personalities in the MMA world have been singing her praises to anyone who will listen. The MMA news sites are filled with articles about her amazing performance.

The question is what next for Joanne? Fans are calling for Invicta Fighting Championship to give her a shot at their 115lbs title, so we may see her take on current champion Carla Esparza. Calderwood way well be the next big thing.