LINCOLN, Neb. – When Joanne Calderwood returns to the octagon Saturday, more than one year after her last fight, it will be in the flyweight division.

Calderwood (11-3 MMA, 3-3 UFC) still had a few days to weigh in for her  meeting with Kalindra Faria (18-7-1 MMA, 0-2 UFC) when she spoke to MMAjunkie on Wednesday. But the difference the move made, compared to an 115-pound bout with Cynthia Calvillo for which Calderwood missed weight, was already apparent.

“Maybe that I’ve got a smile on my face,” Calderwood said ahead of the preliminary card bout, which streams on UFC Fight Pass from Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Neb. “I’ve been able to eat and not train as hard and not as much. That’s a massive thing.

“And another massive thing is me being healthy, no injuries. It’s incredible to feel like that.”

This will be Calderwood’s second UFC bout at 125 pounds, after a TKO win over Valerie Letourneau before the women’s division had been officially created in the promotion.

It will also be her first fight since July 2017, when she dropped a unanimous-decision to Calvillo at UFC Fight Night 113. Being away for so long is never ideal for a fighter, but Calderwood has been able to keep busy by making big changes.

These changes involved some time away from MMA, to readjust her mindset and come back stronger. But they also meant a change of scenery in training; Scotland’s Calderwood was able to sort out her visa situation, meaning she got to stay in the U.S. longer and do her camp in Las Vegas, at both Syndicate MMA and the UFC’s Performance Institute – a camp she intends to keep.

Heading into the octagon on Saturday, Calderwood is excited about the opponent she has in Faria. She believes the Brazilian is just the type of opponent that she’s looking for, who’ll be willing to stand and put on an exciting fight for the fans.

It will also mean a chance to snap a two-fight skid and make a statement – one that, more than anyone else, she wants to make for herself.

“I’m always so hard on myself and it’s always because I know I have all this potential in me,” Calderwood said. “And sometimes I don’t show it when I’m in there. My last few fights, I’ve definitely not performed where I should be. That’s the thing that’s been getting me down.

“But, at the end of the day, now everything is going right. And I feel better as a fighter. I’ve grown as a fighter. There’s nothing – I’m 100 percent confident that it’s going to show on Saturday.”

To hear from Calderwood, check out the video above.

And for more on UFC Fight Night 135, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.