Carla Esparza, a mixed martial artist, is Carla Esparza. She competes in UFC's strawweight division. She is currently UFC strawweight champion. She is currently defending her title after she lost her first title defence against Cyborg at Invicta FC 6.: Coenen II (2013).
Carla Esparza, a mixed martial artist, is Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza is an American mixed martial artist. She competes at the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), women's division of strawweight. She is the UFC Women's Strawweight Champion, and she has also won two UFC titles.
Esparza made her debut in 2012 when she signed with Invicta FC. She defeated Sarah Schneider at Invicta FC 2 in 2012. Esparza attacked Schneider with a heel hook, and quickly got on Schneider's back. She managed to control her opponent's head, and then tried briefly to apply a rear-naked choke.
She is currently UFC strawweight champion
Carla Esparza began professional fighting in 2010. She is the first UFC strawweight champion and the first Invicta FC strawweight champion. She currently ranks #4 in the UFC women’s strawweight rankings, as of January 20, 211. Esparza's UFC debut was made in 2014, after she won the Ultimate Fighter 20 women’s tournament strawweight.
Carla Esparza doesn't have a perfect record. She lost to Jessica Andrade. Claudia Gadelha. Randa Markos. She has also been in close fights against Jessica Andrade, Weili Zi, and Marina Rodriguez. This could be considered a glaring red flag considering her five-fight winning streak.
She was unable to defend her title at Invicta FFC 6: Cyborg against Coenen II (2013).
Cyborg is the stronger fighter. Coenen can be aggressive and determined. Despite an opening round that featured leg kicks from both fighters, Coenen was unable to stop Cyborg's relentless assault. Cyborg scored a second round takedown and landed numerous punches. Coenen was trying to escape, but Cyborg was able to land some power punches that ended the round.
Cyborg is expected to defend her featherweight title against Coenen. The Strikeforce former featherweight champion won their fight by TKO. Coenen has a record of two victories in his last fights. The winner will face either Ayako Hamasaki or Carla Esparza.
In 2007, she suffered nerve damage.
Carla Esparza is able to return from nerve damage that she sustained in 2007 despite her injuries. Rose Namajunas was defeated to win her UFC strawweight champion title. She is expected in November to defend her title, against Zhang Weili (former champ). She posted recently on social media an update about her fight camp.
Esparza was injured in the accident and went to the hospital. Her hospital bill was over $30,000, but she committed to fight. She fought again the following year against Maya Hamasaki in the Invicta FC 7 card. Claudia Gadelha fought her again, but Gadelha was ill with stomach cancer.
She won two title bouts against Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas & Carla Esparza, both former women's lightweight champions, have faced each in two title fights. Namajunas reclaimed the title in November and won it back in April. Although the fight was close, neither fighter managed to land a knockout. Esparza won the fight 48 to 47.
Esparza was 3-3 in 29 months prior to this title fight, but her victory over Virna Jandiroba in April 2019 set the stage for a five-fight win streak. She then beat Yan Xiaonan during a COVID/quiet UFC APEX Las Vegas fight, finishing in just eight minutes. In June 2019, she defended her title again by knockout in the first round.