Former UFC star who Dana White once compared to Conor McGregor and Ronda Rousey retires from MMA

Cynthia Calvillo announces MMA retirement

Calvillo fought in the UFC 13 times.

The former UFC strawweight and flyweight contender was on the cusp of a title opportunity in 2020 before she lost five fights in a row and had a fight cancelled for missing weight, which led to her UFC release in 2024.

Calvillo rebounded from the losing skid over the weekend at Hex Fight Series 3, where she defeated Lisa Kyriacou via unanimous decision. This would be Calvillo’s final fight and win.

A day after, Calvillo announced her MMA retirement on social media.

“It’s time to say goodbye to a sport that I gave everything to and that I loved so much,” Calvillo wrote on Monday.

“I wasn’t ready to let it go just yet but life and opportunities that fizzled out has led me to pursue the next chapter in my life.

“I just want to say thank you to every single person that helped me live this crazy dream of mine. To all the coaches that believed in me and spent countless hours making me the best I could be, y’all don’t know how much it means to me. To the @ufc @danawhite @seanshelby @mickmaynard2 thanks for letting this little girl from East Side San Jose live her dream!

“It was f—— dope being a superhero!” Calvillo concluded.

Calvillo retires at the age of 38 and walks away from MMA with a pro record of 10-6-1 (UFC: 6-6-1).

Dana White felt strongly about Cynthia Calvillo’s potential

Calvillo was one of the most hyped prospects of 2017 after she submitted Amanda Cooper and Pearl Gonzales on back-to-back pay-per-view cards (UFC 209 & UFC 210).

For his post-fight press conference at UFC 210, White had a chair brought out for Calvillo to sit with him, seeing her potential.

“First time I ever met Conor McGregor, I called Lorenzo [Fertitta] and I said, man, I don’t know if this guy can fight, but if he could even throw a punch, he’s gonna be a f—— rock star…

“Ronda Rousey, I had a 45 minute meeting with her and decided to do women’s MMA and I feel pretty strongly about this one too,” White said of Calvillo.

“I think her performance was awesome tonight. I love the way that she eats pressure. Her first time she ever came to the UFC, we bumped her up to the main card, and she performed very well. And then tonight she goes in there with a bigger, stronger woman with the reach who had a lot of experience, and she conducted herself as the badass that she is.

“I’m very impressed with her performance, and I’m a fan,” White said of Calvillo following her second UFC win in 2017.