At UFC 307, Carla Esparza concluded her greater than 14-year skilled combined martial arts profession. As she makes her exit from the game, “Cookie Monster” might be remembered as one of the vital credentialed strawweight rivals to ever grace the world-famous Octagon. All through her time as an elite of the division, the Californian had laid declare to a number of notable accolades just like the Invicta FC Strawweight Championship, The Final Fighter 20 title, and the UFC Strawweight Championship twice.
Along with her sturdy collegiate wrestling background and her harmful floor sport, Esparza proved to be a tough matchup for a lot of the competitors that she went up towards. This sturdy grappling type allowed her to face towards a litany of top-level opposition throughout her almost 30 battle profession comparable to Virna Jandiroba, Marina Rodriguez, Alexa Grasso, and Rose Namajunas.
Esparza: The Early Days
Beginning her journey in MMA on February 19, 2010, Esparza gained her first bout in simply 48 seconds when she knocked out Cassie Trost at Respect within the Cage 3. She then went on to compete 4 extra occasions that very same yr, selecting up three extra victories but additionally struggling her first defeat by second spherical submission to Girls’s combined martial arts pioneer Megumi Fujii.
After going 1-1 in her subsequent two contests, Esparza took her first steps in direction of greatness by profitable her subsequent 4 fights in a row. This run noticed her seize the inaugural Invicta FC Strawweight strap with wins over Sarah Schneider, Lynn Alvarez, and Bec Rawlings.
TUF Comes Calling
Following this, Esparza was solid to hitch The Final Fighter: A Champion Will Be Topped, in any other case often known as The Final Fighter 20. Preventing alongside 15 of the opposite greatest 115 pound names on the planet, the winner of the season wouldn’t solely earn a UFC contract, but additionally be topped as the corporate’s first strawweight champion.
Blitzing via the match with the utmost domination, the first-seeded Esparza breezed previous her first three opponents in Angela Hill, Tecia Pennington, and Jessica Penne to achieve the finale. There, she battled Midwestern submission ace Namajunas, who Esparza choked out within the third spherical of their championship bout to earn the inaugural UFC Strawweight title and the Final Fighter trophy as nicely.
Esparza Loses Belt
At this cut-off date, Esparza was on hearth, and going into her first title protection at UFC 185 in 2015, many anticipated one other dominant efficiency from the previous NAIA wrestling prodigy. That, sadly, wouldn’t be the case, as “Cookie Monster” wound up dropping the strap to the undefeated Joanna Jędrzejczyk, dropping the battle by TKO within the second spherical to the Polish powerhouse.
One other Shot at Gold
For the following a number of years, Esparza encountered a prolonged string of inconsistent outcomes, going 3-3 in her subsequent six bouts. Her time within the higher echelon of the division gave the impression to be fading, however after a 2019 victory over Virna Jandiroba, although, the previous champion appeared to have begun to hit her stride once more. Successful her subsequent 4 fights, Esparza blasted via the rankings in a profession resurgence gathering spectacular victories towards Alexa Grasso, Marina Rodriguez, and Yan Xiaonan. This streak catapulted “Cookie Monster” again close to the highest of the strawweight elite, netting her the chance to contend for the championship in a rematch with Namajunas in 2022.
Turning again the clock at UFC 274, the pair confronted off in what was billed as an thrilling rematch between two titans of the division. This turned out to be wishful pondering, nonetheless, because the battle performed out as an entire and utter dud. Touchdown a mixed 68 complete strikes between them, each ladies regarded oddly gun shy all through the competition. Whereas each competitor’s performances left a lot to be desired, Esparza finally acquired her hand raised in the long run by break up determination to regain her throne because the UFC Strawweight Champion.
It took her over seven years to do it, however “Cookie Monster” had eventually made it again to the highest of the pecking order at 115 lbs. She wouldn’t maintain the highest spot for very lengthy, although, as a result of at UFC 281, she dropped the strap to a different former champion in Zhang Weili, who dominated Esparza en path to ending her in spherical two with a rear bare choke.
Taking A Pause and A Retirement Bout Towards a Acquainted Foe
Following the lack of her title, Esparza determined to take a while off from the game to concentrate on beginning a household, giving delivery to her son nearly a yr later. It wasn’t till almost two years later that she publicly introduced that she was going to finish her break from competitors at UFC 307 to tackle earlier opponent Tecia Pennington. The announcement additionally got here with the surprising information that the battle could be her final as an expert combined martial artist.
*RETIREMENT FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT*I might be entering into The UFC Octagon on Saturday, October fifth for the ultimate time. After nearly 15 years as an expert, preventing the most effective of the most effective, I really feel it’s time to hold up my gloves. #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/NUZwPcOqxx
— Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1) August 2, 2024
Sharing the cage as soon as extra since their assembly on The Final Fighter a decade in the past, Esparza discovered herself in bother early on within the bout when Pennington landed some arduous strikes that left “Cookie Monster” surprised. Being put into survival mode, the two-time strawweight champion proceeded to take down “The Tiny Twister” and end the primary spherical on high whereas raining down punches. The following 10 minutes ended up being simply as aggressive, with Pennington giving Esparza important bother on the toes, however the Californian additionally had her moments together with her fingers and her grappling. The competition was an in depth one, however it was Pennington who acquired the judges nod through break up determination to actual her revenge over Esparza.
Closing Ideas
She didn’t get to experience off into the sundown off a hard-earned win, however win or lose Carla Esparza had already cemented herself as one of many biggest feminine fighters of all time. Though she wasn’t capable of keep champion for lengthy throughout her two reigns, her runs of domination main as much as her buying the belts noticed her defeat the most effective strawweights from a number of generations. Laying down her gloves within the Octagon and placing her profession to mattress, Esparza might be remembered as an integral a part of the legacy of the 115-lb. division.
