Wombat Sports: Interview with Jo-Anne Calderwood on the Heels of OnTop 5

Even though she has only just started her MMA career in early 2012, Joanne Calderwood has quickly become an international sensation. The Scottish fighter is undefeated, coming off a win half way across the planet in India for the Super Fight League this past month against Ukrainian fighter Lena Ovchynnikova.
Calderwood returns to Scotland as she takes on another European fighter in France’s Elodie Puget at OnTop 5 MMA in Glasgow. We talked to Calderwood about her match in India, her upcoming match back home, and her busy schedule.
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Calderwood (right) Courtesy Super Fight League

Wombat Sports: There were some wild happenings in your last fight with Lena in India. What are your thoughts?
Jo-Anne Calderwood: Yea you mean the wild things that most people wouldn’t have complained about if it was happening behind closed doors?? (laugh) I was pretty angry and shocked at the time but now I just feel sorry for Lena to get so frustrated in a fight that you resort to biting and headbutting must be terrible.
My team cover all of the areas even the areas that can frustrate me in training so there nothing that can happen to me in a fight I haven’t dealt with numerous times in training. I lose most rounds in my fight camp so I’m used to people being better than me and I’m okay with that. I just hope she doesn’t do it to anyone else it looks really bad on her and most of all on WMMA!
Wombat: This was your first MMA match outside of Europe – how was it being in front of the Indian crowd? Did they invite you back?
Calderwood: The Indian crowd were awesome. For the sport to be so new over there, the crowd was very well educated which is sometimes unusual. They have offered me a 4 fight contract, but I’m waiting till after this next fight and will make a decision then. Regardless. I would love to go back the SFL promotion. They were excellent to work with and they’ve been doing exciting things.
W.S.: This match coming up is the third in the past six months. Were you expecting to be this much in demand?
J.C.: I never thought it. It’s amazing to think I waited more than a year to have one fight never mind 3 in the space of six months.
On Top is the Dinky Ninjas home show and they worked stupidly hard trying to get me on the card to make my debut, and then again on this show. I was hard to match originally with my Thai record and then my high profile fight with Lena might have made it even harder. John Nicholson, the match maker for On Top, is like a man possessed trying to get the right fights for me. He already has an idea who I’ll be fighting on the next On Top in September.
W.S: Is the US hopefully in the future for you?
J.C.: I believe I can make it to the top with the support I have from my team and how hard I work. Everyone knows the pinnacle of MMA and especially woman’s MMA is in the states. If I get a chance to showcase in the US, I will double leg that like there’s no tomorrow. If I don’t get a chance, I’ll keep winning fights until they can’t ignore me or harass the crap out of them online.
W.S.: What do you know about your opponent?
J.C.: My opponent is French, with a kickboxing and wrestling background. That is all I really know really as there’s not a lot of info on her. I hear she’s been waiting to make her pro MMA debut for a while and I give her lots of credit for standing up and taking the challenge.
So many girls refused to fight me or ridiculously priced themselves out of the fight it was untrue. I like fighters who fight.
W.S.: Anything you want to add/anyone you’d like to thanks?
J.C.: Thanks for the interview. I like to say thanks to my sponsors – STARK Architects & Consulting Engineers, Replicade, Devils Own Clothing, SAS nutrition and FUNKYGUMS.COM.
Thanks to my team for the slagging I’ve took since India, which has seen me through this camp with “aaa ref shes biting me”. I will never complain in a fight live on youtube again.