MMA News caught up with atomweight Nicdali “The Night Queen” Rivera- Calanoc, ahead of her Combate 10 co-main event fight against Lisbeth Lopes-Silva in Mexico City tonight.
Nicdali spoke this week to MMA News’ Tim Thompson about a wide range of subjects including her relationship with “best friend” and “inspiration” Miesha Tate, her friendship with Amanda Nunes and her dream to fight in Spain one day.
While not having the same level of fame as her friend “Cupcake”, Rivera-Calanic has been fighting on the professional circuit for almost 11 years. “The Night Queen”, now 31, has fought in Japan, Puerto Rico and all over the U.S.A. When asked if there was anywhere else that she would like to fight in, Nicdali’s answered:
“Yes, Europe. Spain. I have Spanish roots, and would love to go there and see what that’s like and really take that in, and fight in front of the Spanish fans”
Speaking about the importance of her Mexican heritage, the 18-9-9 fighter had alluded to her desire to be an inspiration to those in a similar position to how she was, while being thankful to America for the opportunities she has had:
“For me, being a Mexican immigrant, I just really want to inspire people like myself to show that hard work and dedication can get you anything you want in America. I’m living the American dream, you know? And I want to show them that”.
Nicdali also states how she is in her prime, and feels: “more mature, more motivated and more driven” and is certain that she is in the peak of her career.
Full details of Combate 10 can be found here.
