Carla Esparza: UFC Gold Within Arm’s Reach
In a division (Strawweight) that is flourishing by the day, new faces made people forget about the ones who have been doing it from the start. However, with Carla Esparza’s last performance, a statement was made. She might not look the scariest or most powerful, but she very well might be the best.
Most people were stunned by the way Rose Namajunas claimed strawweight supremacy when she was the challenger. Others might be in awe of Joanna jedrzejczyk’s dominant title reign, or even by Weili Zhang’s rapid rise to superstardom. That being said, out of all these astonishing, pivotal moments in women’s MMA, Carla Esparza’s resume might be the deepest.
Throughout the years, it’s been proven that the most challenging road for securing a UFC contract is through the gauntlet of combat sports, The Ultimate Fighter(TUF). And on the 20th season of the show, history was made. Not only was it the first season that featured female combatants, but the inaugural strawweight championship was on the line.
The 20th season included the 16 best strawweights on the planet, which most of them are still ranked in the UFC’s top 15 list almost 7 years later. Some of the contestants went on to become world champions, while others competed in a championship setting shortly after, which speaks to the depth of talent the season had to offer.
Competing alongside the cream of the crop, Carla “The Cookie Monster” Esparza dominated her way into a spot at the season finale against current strawweight champion, Rose Namajunas. Not only did Carla’s win age beautifully, but the fashion she was able to dominate Rose and eventually finish her in the third, shows how underrated she is.
Seven years later, with how things are shaping up, a sense of deja vu is in the air. And with Carla’s five-fight win streak, alongside a performance of the night bonus in her last outing, “The Cookie Monster” made her case undeniable for a shot at UFC gold.
Aside from Carla’s current win streak(5), the heaviest claim in her case as the rightful number one contender, is that she holds wins over 9 of the top 15 strawweights, including a finish over the current champion, Rose Namajunas.
As Carla Esparza sits at the top of the division with victories over 9 fighters ranked in the top-15, one of them being the current champ. To solidify her case, Carla kicked down the door of women’s P4P rankings, proving that her skillset is on par with the best the sport has to offer.
“Experience tells you what to do; confidence allows you to do it.”
-Stan Smith
With Carla’s earned stripes, bragging rights are for the taking. And with Esparza’s unparalleled experience at the elite level, true self-belief in her abilities was the missing link all along. As is our confidence, so is our capacity. The time is now for Carla Esparza to reclaim what was once rightfully hers.
Written by: Tarek Basel Alsabbagh
