EXCLUSIVE | Cortney Casey breaks down ESPN showdown with Cynthia Calvillo

Cortney Casey was originally supposed to be fighting Cynthia Calvillo at the now-canceled UFC 233 card in Anaheim, California on January 26. Instead, Casey will throw down with Calvillo when the UFC makes its debut on ESPN on February 17.

“Even though we had that little change with the venues I was already on schedule for the California card,” Casey told BJPenn.com in a recent interview. “Having the fight pushed back actually gave me more time to relax and enjoy the Holidays.”

Casey, 31, has fought the who’s who in women’s MMA. Taking a look up and down her resume quickly reveals that she doesn’t shy away from the toughest fights possible. Calvillo, although a bit of an up and comer, fits that role precisely.

“I’m expecting a great fight,” Cortney Casey said when asked about her upcoming bout with Calvillo. “She is an up and comer, she was ranked pretty high and then she had that mishap in her fight with Carla [Esparza]. She was out for some time but she is very well rounded. Stylistically, wherever the fight goes it should be really good.”

“She likes to really attack when it gets to the ground and so do I,” Casey continued. “So I definitely think it will be exciting no matter where the fight goes. Both of our stand up is good so this is going to be a fun fight for everyone.”

Before this fight can take place on February 17, both fighters must make weight. For Casey, this should not be a big deal. Calvillo, however, has had her issues with weight cuts in the past.

“I’m not too concerned about it,” said Casey when asked about her opponent’s past weight issues. “I mean it’s always in the back of your mind, but I’m going to fight no matter what. We will figure it out if it comes to that but I know she is making adjustments to make sure that doesn’t happen again.”

Hopefully, neither fighter has any issues heading into the UFC’s debut on ESPN. Although Cortney has been involved in some big cards in the past, there’s nothing quite like competing on this new stage.

“To be on ESPN, that’s like a kids dream,” Casey explained. “When you’re an athlete your dream is to be on ESPN. And the fact that it’s in Phoenix makes it even better.”

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