Carla Kristen Esparza (born October 10, 1987) is an American professional
mixed martial artist
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, incorpo ...
who competes in the Strawweight division of the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC), in which she is a former two-time
UFC Women's Strawweight Champion
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
. Esparza was the first
UFC Strawweight Champion, the first
Invicta FC Strawweight Champion, and was generally considered the best Strawweight fighter in the world during both initial title reigns.
She first earned the UFC championship by winning a 16-woman tournament that was televised on the reality series ''
The Ultimate Fighter
''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...
''. She also competed in
Bellator MMA's first women's tournament. As of November 15, 2022, she is #1 in the
UFC women's strawweight rankings, and #6 in the
UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings.
Amateur and collegiate wrestling
Carla Esparza's foray into
mixed martial arts
Mixed martial arts (MMA), sometimes referred to as cage fighting, no holds barred (NHB), and ultimate fighting, and originally referred to as Vale Tudo is a full-contact combat sport based on striking, grappling and ground fighting, inc ...
(MMA) began when she started
wrestling
Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat ...
for the varsity team during her junior year at
Redondo Union High School
Redondo Union High School (RUHS) is a public high school in Redondo Beach, California.
Redondo Union High School is a part of the Redondo Beach Unified School District.
All residents of Redondo Beach are zoned to Redondo Union. In addition, resi ...
in
Redondo Beach, California
Redondo Beach (Spanish for ''round'') is a coastal city in Los Angeles County, California, United States, located in the South Bay region of the Greater Los Angeles area. It is one of three adjacent beach cities along the southern portion of Sa ...
. After winning multiple local and national high-school wrestling tournaments, Esparza was awarded a scholarship to
Menlo College
Menlo College is a private college specializing in business and is located in Atherton, California.
Campus
Menlo College is situated on 45-acre (0.18 km2) campus in Atherton, California, 25 miles southeast of San Francisco and 20 miles nort ...
, a
NAIA Division school in northern California, to wrestle under coach and former two-time Olympian
Lee Allen Lee Allen may refer to:
*Lee Allen (wrestler) (1934–2012), wrestler and coach
* Lee Allen (baseball) (1915–1969), baseball historian
*Lee Allen (musician) (1927–1994), saxophone player
*Lee Allen (artist)
Lee Allen (1910 – May 5, 2006), bor ...
.
In 2008 and 2009, Esparza was a women's wrestling
All-American with the Menlo Oaks.
While in college, Esparza started training in
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu at the Gracie Academy in
Torrance under
Rener, Ryron, and
Ralek Gracie
Ralek Gracie (born October 4, 1985) is an American Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioner and mixed martial artist. As the son of Rorion Gracie, he is a member of the Gracie family. He was awarded his black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu by his grandfath ...
. She then expanded her mixed martial arts repertoire when she began training at Team Oyama during the summer of her junior year of college.
Mixed martial arts career
Bellator
In August 2010, only six months after her pro debut and with just three professional MMA fights, Esparza was called in by
Bellator MMA as a last-minute replacement for
Angela Magaña
Angela Magaña (born August 2, 1983) is an American mixed martial artist who formerly competed in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is also known for competing on The Ultimate Fighter 20 for Team Melende ...
, who was forced to withdraw from her upcoming fight due to a foot injury.
Esparza was inserted in the bracket of the
Bellator Season 3 115 lb women's tournament at ''
Bellator 24
2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...
''. On just three days' notice, Esparza's opponent in the quarterfinal round was the undefeated and then #1
pound-for-pound female MMA fighter in the world,
Megumi Fujii
Megumi Fujii (藤井 恵 ''Fujii Megumi'', born April 26, 1974) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist.
Biography
Fujii started Judo at the age of 3 due to her father's influence and continued Judo at Shukugawa Gakuin Junior High School a ...
.
Esparza lost the fight to the heavily favored Fujii via second-round armbar submission.
In June 2011, Esparza returned to the Bellator cage and faced fellow Season 3 tournament challenger
Jessica Aguilar
Jessica Aguilar (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who competes in RIZIN. At the time of her voluntary departure from World Series of Fighting, she was the reigning WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion. Aguilar previously ...
at ''
Bellator 46
2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...
''. After a three-round back and forth battle, Aguilar defeated Esparza via split decision.
XFC and MEZ Sports
On December 2, 2011, Esparza made her XFC debut against
Felice Herrig
Felice Nicole Herrig (born September 18, 1984) is an American retired kickboxer, Muay Thai fighter, and mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the strawweight division.
Background
Herrig was born in Buf ...
at ''
XFC 15: Tribute'' in Tampa, Florida. She defeated Herrig via unanimous decision.
Three months later, Esparza was scheduled to face Angela Magana at ''Pandemonium VI'' for the MEZ Sports women's flyweight title. Unfortunately, Magana was involved in a
car accident on the day of the fight while in transit to the
Riverside Convention Center
The Riverside Convention Center is a convention center in downtown Riverside, California. The convention center hosts conventions and events in 70,000 sq. ft. of total meeting space and 30,000 sq. ft. of exhibit space. It has 26 meeting rooms wit ...
, where the event was being staged. Magana re-broke her back in the collision and was unable to compete in the fight.
Invicta FC
In May 2012, it was announced that Esparza had signed with the upstart all-female
Invicta Fighting Championships
Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is currentl ...
promotion.
On July 28, 2012, Esparza made her
Invicta debut at the promotion's second event, entitled ''
Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann'', and faced Sarah Schneider on the preliminary card.
Esparza won the fight via TKO (punches) at 4:28 of round two.
Esparza returned to Invicta to face Lynn Alvarez at ''
Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama'' on October 6, 2012. She defeated Alvarez via TKO (punches) at 2:53 of round one.
Strawweight Championship
Esparza was expected to face
Ayaka Hamasaki
is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, judoka and submission grappler. She is the former Rizin Super Atomweight Champion. She has fought in MMA promotions ''Shooto'', Jewels and Rizin in Japan, and Invicta FC in the United States. Hamasaki ...
for the
Invicta FC Strawweight Championship at ''
Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt'' on January 5, 2013. However, Hamasaki withdrew from the fight in order to defend her
Jewels
A gemstone (also called a fine gem, jewel, precious stone, or semiprecious stone) is a piece of mineral crystal which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments. However, certain rocks (such as lapis lazuli, opal, a ...
Lightweight title in Japan. Esparza was then set to face
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt
Cláudia Gadelha
Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (; born December 7, 1988), is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
As of 2022, Gadelha works for the Ultimate Fightin ...
in the Invicta FC 4 main event, but Gadelha broke her nose in training and was forced to withdraw.
Esparza ultimately faced
Bec Hyatt for the
Invicta FC Strawweight Championship. Esparza won the fight via unanimous decision to become the first
Invicta FC Strawweight Champion.
Esparza agreed to defend her title against
Ayaka Hamasaki
is a Japanese female mixed martial artist, judoka and submission grappler. She is the former Rizin Super Atomweight Champion. She has fought in MMA promotions ''Shooto'', Jewels and Rizin in Japan, and Invicta FC in the United States. Hamasaki ...
at ''
Invicta FC 6: Coenen vs. Cyborg'' on July 13, 2013. However, on June 4 she withdrew from the fight due to a knee injury.
On December 7, 2013, Esparza was set to defend her strawweight title against
Cláudia Gadelha
Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (; born December 7, 1988), is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
As of 2022, Gadelha works for the Ultimate Fightin ...
at Invicta FC 7. However, on the day of the event, Gadelha was taken to the hospital due to a bacterial infection and the fight was canceled. Esparza vacated the title on December 11, 2013 to compete on ''
The Ultimate Fighter
''The Ultimate Fighter'' is an American reality television series and mixed martial arts (MMA) competition produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Pilgrim Media Group currently airing on ESPN+. It previously aired for fourteen s ...
''.
''The Ultimate Fighter''
On December 11, 2013, it was announced that Esparza was signed by the
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
(UFC) along with 10 other strawweight fighters to compete on season 20 of ''The Ultimate Fighter'', which would crown the first ever UFC Strawweight Champion.
Esparza was the top seed in the tournament. She faced Angela Hill in the preliminary round and won via submission in the first round. In the quarterfinal round, she faced
Tecia Torres
Tecia Lyn Torres Moncaio (born August 16, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 24, 2022, she is #8 in the UFC women's straww ...
and won the fight via majority decision. She then faced teammate
Jessica Penne
Jessica Marie Penne (born January 30, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Penne currently competes in the Women's Strawweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She was the first Invicta FC Atomweight Cha ...
in the semifinal, and won by unanimous decision.
Ultimate Fighting Championship
By winning the tournament on ''The Ultimate Fighter'', Esparza advanced to the final on December 12, 2014, against
Rose Namajunas.
Strawweight Champion
After dominating much of the fight with her grappling and ground strikes, Esparza defeated Namajunas via rear-naked choke in the third round to become the inaugural UFC Strawweight Champion. The result also earned Esparza a ''Performance of the Night'' bonus.
Kevin Iole of ''Yahoo Sports'' noted, "Namajunas tapped at 1:26 of the third round, but the fight was over long before that. Esparza was too strong, too smart and simply too good for the far less experienced Namajunas." He went on to state that "Esparza dominated her three fights on the reality show and was no less dominant on Saturday. There is clearly a gap between Esparza and the next level of challengers".
[ Following the fight, Brad Walker of ''MMATorch'' declared, "Esparza is the best fighter in her division in the world, not just in the UFC."]
In her first title defense, Esparza faced kickboxer Joanna Jędrzejczyk on March 14, 2015, at UFC 185
''UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos'' was a mixed martial arts event held on March 14, 2015, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Background
The event was the third that the UFC has hosted in Dallas, Texas.
The event was headlined by a ...
. Prior to the fight, Jędrzejczyk stated, "I have lots of respect for her." She also noted, "I know she's not going to give up easy, so it's going to be a tough fight for me and for her." Throughout the bout, Esparza was out-struck while standing and unable to keep Jędrzejczyk on the mat. Jędrzejczyk won via TKO in the second round. In an interview afterward, Esparza noted, "She had great takedown defense, obviously. I feel like I wasn't really setting it up, but that's on me." She went on to state, "There's never any excuses. I fought my fight and I lost tonight. She did a great job."[
Esparza underwent shoulder surgery in mid-2015 and subsequently was out of action for the rest of the year.
]
Rebound
Esparza returned at UFC 197
''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...
on April 23, 2016, defeating Juliana Lima via unanimous decision. Esparza, who stepped in for Jessica Aguilar
Jessica Aguilar (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who competes in RIZIN. At the time of her voluntary departure from World Series of Fighting, she was the reigning WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion. Aguilar previously ...
, noted, "I took this fight semi-last minute, and I kind of wanted it that way too. Even though I wasn't in the best shape I wanted to be, I just kind of wanted to avoid the stress of a long camp." She also stated, "It's a huge relief off my shoulders to go out there and get my hand raised."
Esparza next faced Randa Markos
Randa Cemil Markos-Thomas (born August 10, 1985) is an Iraqi-born Canadian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight division. She most notably fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Personal life
Markos wa ...
on February 19, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne. She lost the fight via controversial split decision. 19 of 23 media outlets scored the fight 29-28 for Esparza.
Esparza faced Maryna Moroz
Maryna Moroz (Ukrainian: Марина Мороз; born September 8, 1991) is a Ukrainian professional mixed martial artist, signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she competes in the Women's Flyweight division. Moroz is also ...
on June 25, 2017 at UFC Fight Night 112
''UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 112'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship held on June 25, 2017, at Chesapeake Energy Arena in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
Background
The ...
. She won the fight via unanimous decision.
Esparza faced Cynthia Calvillo
Cynthia Tafoya Calvillo ( , born July 13, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight and flyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of August 15, 2022, she is #14 in the UFC women's flyweight ra ...
on December 30, 2017 at UFC 219. She won the fight via unanimous decision.
Esparza faced Cláudia Gadelha
Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (; born December 7, 1988), is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
As of 2022, Gadelha works for the Ultimate Fightin ...
on June 9, 2018 at UFC 225
''UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Background
A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between ...
. She lost the fight via split decision.
Esparza faced Tatiana Suarez
Tatiana Yadira Suarez Padilla (born December 19, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist with a background in wrestling who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She was the strawweight ...
on September 8, 2018 at UFC 228
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
. Esparza lost the fight via TKO in the third round.
Esparza was scheduled to face Lívia Renata Souza
Lívia Renata dos Santos Souza (born March 11, 1991), also known as Livinha Souza, is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division. She has previously competed in the UFC and Invicta Fighting Championships, where ...
on April 27, 2019 at UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson. However, it was reported that Souza pulled out of the bout, citing ankle injury and was replaced by promotional newcomer Virna Jandiroba
Virna Carole Andrade Jandiroba (born May 30, 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist (MMA), who currently competes in the strawweight division of the UFC. She is a former Invicta Fighting Championships (Invicta) Strawweight champion. As of ...
. Esparza won the fight via unanimous decision.
Esparza faced Alexa Grasso
Karen Alexa Grasso Montes (born August 9, 1993) is a Mexican mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division. She is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of March 29, 2022, she is #5 in the UFC women ...
on September 21, 2019 at UFC Fight Night 159. She won the fight via majority decision. This fight earned her the '' Fight of the Night'' award, the first of her UFC career.
Esparza was scheduled to face Michelle Waterson
Michelle Eileen Waterson (born January 6, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist and model who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Between 2013 and 2014, she was ranked the ...
on April 11, 2020 at UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Harris. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...
, the event was eventually postponed and the bout eventually took place on May 9, 2020 at UFC 249
''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was originally planned to ...
. She won the fight via split decision.
On June 3, 2020, Esparza's manager announced that she had signed a new four-fight deal with the UFC.
Esparza was expected to face Marina Rodriguez
Marina Alcalde Rodriguez (born April 29, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 8, 2022, she is #5 in the UFC women's stra ...
on July 15, 2020 at UFC Fight Night 172
''UFC Fight Night: Figueiredo vs. Benavidez 2'' (also known as ''UFC Fight Night 172'', ''UFC on ESPN+ 30'' and ''UFC Fight Island 2'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 19, 2020 ...
. However the bout was cancelled after one of Rodriguez's cornermen tested positive for COVID-19. The pair eventually fought at UFC on ESPN 14
''UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till'' (also known as ''UFC on ESPN 14'' and ''UFC Fight Island 3'') was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on July 26, 2020 at the du Forum on Yas Island, Abu ...
on July 26, 2020. Esparza won the fight via split decision.
Esparza was expected to face Amanda Ribas
Amanda Ribas (born August 26, 1993) is a Brazilian professional mixed martial artist. She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of August 15, 2022, she is #9 in the UFC women's strawweight ...
on December 12, 2020 at UFC 256
''UFC 256: Figueiredo vs. Moreno'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on December 12, 2020 at the UFC Apex facility in Enterprise, Nevada, part of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Area, United ...
. However on October 9, it was announced that Esparza was pulled due to undisclosed reasons.
Esparza faced Yan Xiaonan
Yan Xiaonan (born June 16, 1989) is a Chinese mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 8, 2022, she is ranked #6 in the UFC women's strawweight ra ...
on May 22, 2021 at UFC Fight Night 188. She won the bout via TKO after dominating Yan on the ground throughout the bout. This win earned her the'' Performance of the Night
UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
'' award.
Second championship reign
Esparza faced Rose Namajunas in a rematch for the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
on May 7, 2022 at UFC 274
''UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 7, 2022, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.
Background
The event was originally link ...
. Esparza won a largely uneventful fight by split decision to claim the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship for a second time. With the victory, Esparza set a record for longest time between UFC title reigns by any fighter, male or female, at 2,612 days.
Esparza defended her belt against Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili (; born August 13, 1989) is a Chinese mixed martial artist. She is the former Kunlun Fight (KLF) strawweight champion and competes in the strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current ...
on November 12, 2022, at UFC 281
''UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 12, 2022, at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States.
Background
A UFC Middle ...
. Esparza lost the bout and the belt by the way of a rear-naked choke submission in the second round.
Grappling
Esparza stepped up on short notice to replace Rose Namajunas in a grappling match against Danielle Kelly at Fury Pro Grappling 3 on December 30, 2021. After a tough match, Esparza slammed Kelly from full guard and the resulting clash of heads opened up a cut above Esparza's eyebrow. The doctors attending called the match off and the victory was awarded to Kelly as a result of the injury.
Fighting style
Esparza is known for powerful wrestling and Brazilian Jiu-jitsu.[ On the mat, she often mounts an opponent and controls her with strikes while seeking submissions. While standing, she typically clinches and attacks with punches, knees and elbows.
]
Championships and accomplishments
*Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
**UFC Women's Strawweight Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) champions are fighters who have won UFC championships.
Historical notes
At the time of the UFC's inception in 1993, mixed martial arts was not sanctioned in the United States, and did not include weight classe ...
(Two times; First)
**Tied ( Joanna Jedrzejczyk) for most wins in the UFC Women's Strawweight division history (10)
** Most takedowns landed in the UFC Women's Strawweight division history (44)
** Longest time between title reigns in UFC history (2,612 days)
** Fight of the Night (One time)
**Performance of the Night
UFC Bonus Awards are three separate cash bonuses usually awarded to four fighters after each UFC event, based on internal decisions by UFC management. More/fewer bonuses have been awarded at some events, especially when no knockouts or submissions ...
(Two times)
**The Ultimate Fighter 20 Tournament Winner
** Most split decision wins in the UFC Women's Strawweight division history (3)
*Invicta FC
Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is current ...
** Invicta FC Strawweight Championship (One time; First)
*'
Combat Press
''
**2014 Female Fighter of the Year
*MMAWeekly.com
**2014 Female Fighter of the Year
Submission grappling
* Pan-American Championship
**2013 Pan-American Jiu-Jitsu Championship Female Blue Belt Silver Medalist
Personal life
Esparza is of Mexican, Ecuadorian
Ecuadorians ( es, ecuatorianos) are people identified with the South American country of Ecuador. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Ecuadorians, several (or all) of these connections exist and are colle ...
and Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
descent. She married her husband Matthew Lomeli in May 2022.
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 19–7
, Zhang Weili
Zhang Weili (; born August 13, 1989) is a Chinese mixed martial artist. She is the former Kunlun Fight (KLF) strawweight champion and competes in the strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she is the current ...
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, UFC 281
''UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on November 12, 2022, at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York, United States.
Background
A UFC Middle ...
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 1:05
, New York City, New York
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 19–6
, Rose Namajunas
, Decision (split)
, UFC 274
''UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 7, 2022, at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona, United States.
Background
The event was originally link ...
,
, align=center, 5
, align=center, 5:00
, Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix ( ; nv, Hoozdo; es, Fénix or , yuf-x-wal, Banyà:nyuwá) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Arizona, with 1,608,139 residents as of 2020. It is the fifth-most populous city in the United States, and the on ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 18–6
, Yan Xiaonan
Yan Xiaonan (born June 16, 1989) is a Chinese mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 8, 2022, she is ranked #6 in the UFC women's strawweight ra ...
, TKO (punches)
, UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 2:58
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 17–6
, Marina Rodriguez
Marina Alcalde Rodriguez (born April 29, 1987) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist (MMA). She currently competes in the Strawweight division in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of November 8, 2022, she is #5 in the UFC women's stra ...
, Decision (split)
, UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 16–6
, Michelle Waterson
Michelle Eileen Waterson (born January 6, 1986) is an American mixed martial artist and model who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She is the former Invicta FC Atomweight Champion. Between 2013 and 2014, she was ranked the ...
, Decision (split)
, UFC 249
''UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that took place on May 9, 2020 at VyStar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It was originally planned to ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Jacksonville, Florida
Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 15–6
, Alexa Grasso
Karen Alexa Grasso Montes (born August 9, 1993) is a Mexican mixed martial artist who competes in the flyweight division. She is currently signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of March 29, 2022, she is #5 in the UFC women ...
, Decision (majority)
, UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Mexico City
Mexico City ( es, link=no, Ciudad de México, ; abbr.: CDMX; Nahuatl: ''Altepetl Mexico'') is the capital city, capital and primate city, largest city of Mexico, and the List of North American cities by population, most populous city in North Amer ...
, Mexico
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 14–6
, Virna Jandiroba
Virna Carole Andrade Jandiroba (born May 30, 1988) is a Brazilian mixed martial artist (MMA), who currently competes in the strawweight division of the UFC. She is a former Invicta Fighting Championships (Invicta) Strawweight champion. As of ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Sunrise, Florida, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–6
, Tatiana Suarez
Tatiana Yadira Suarez Padilla (born December 19, 1990) is an American professional mixed martial arts, mixed martial artist with a background in wrestling who competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She was the strawweight ...
, TKO (punches and elbows)
, UFC 228
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is an American mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion company based in Las Vegas, Nevada. It is owned and operated by Zuffa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Endeavor Group Holdings. It is the largest MMA ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 4:33
, Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 13–5
, Cláudia Gadelha
Ana Cláudia Dantas Gadelha (; born December 7, 1988), is a retired Brazilian mixed martial artist who competed in the Women's Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
As of 2022, Gadelha works for the Ultimate Fightin ...
, Decision (split)
, UFC 225
''UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2'' was a mixed martial arts event produced by the Ultimate Fighting Championship that was held on June 9, 2018, at the United Center in Chicago, Illinois.
Background
A UFC Middleweight Championship bout between ...
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
, image_map =
, map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago
, coordinates =
, coordinates_footnotes =
, subdivision_type = Country
, subdivision_name ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 13–4
, Cynthia Calvillo
Cynthia Tafoya Calvillo ( , born July 13, 1987) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight and flyweight divisions of the Ultimate Fighting Championship. As of August 15, 2022, she is #14 in the UFC women's flyweight ra ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC 219
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 12–4
, Maryna Moroz
Maryna Moroz (Ukrainian: Марина Мороз; born September 8, 1991) is a Ukrainian professional mixed martial artist, signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where she competes in the Women's Flyweight division. Moroz is also ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, and ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 11–4
, Randa Markos
Randa Cemil Markos-Thomas (born August 10, 1985) is an Iraqi-born Canadian professional mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight division. She most notably fought in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Personal life
Markos wa ...
, Decision (split)
, UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne
,
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, Halifax, Nova Scotia
Halifax is the capital and largest municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the largest municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of the 2021 Census, the municipal population was 439,819, with 348 ...
, Canada
,
, -
, Win
, align="center", 11–3
, Juliana Lima
, Decision (unanimous)
, UFC 197
''UFC 197: Jones vs. Saint Preux'' was a mixed martial arts event held on April 23, 2016, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Background
The event's number was initially planned for an event taking place on March 5, 2016 at HSBC Are ...
,
, align="center", 3
, align="center", 5:00
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align="center", 10–3
, Joanna Jędrzejczyk
, TKO (punches)
, UFC 185
''UFC 185: Pettis vs. dos Anjos'' was a mixed martial arts event held on March 14, 2015, at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
Background
The event was the third that the UFC has hosted in Dallas, Texas.
The event was headlined by a ...
,
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 4:17
, Dallas, Texas
Dallas () is the third largest city in Texas and the largest city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States at 7.5 million people. It is the largest city in and seat of Dallas County ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 10–2
, Rose Namajunas
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale
,
, align="center" , 3
, align="center" , 1:26
, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 9–2
, Bec Rawlings
Rebecca Anne Rawlings (born 11 February 1989) is an Australian mixed martial artist and bare-knuckle boxer, who currently competes in the flyweight division. She was ranked as a contender strawweight (106-115 lb) fighter according to the ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt
,
, align="center" , 5
, align="center" , 5:00
, Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 8–2
, Lynn Alvarez
Lynn Alvarez (born September 6, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist. She competes in the strawweight division for Invicta FC and has competed for Bellator.
Mixed martial arts record
, -
, Loss
, align=center, 6–5
, JJ Aldrich
, ...
, TKO (punches)
, Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama
,
, align="center" , 1
, align="center" , 2:53
, Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 7–2
, Sarah Schneider
Sarah Schneider (born September 10, 1983) is an American writer, actress, and comedian. She got her start in entertainment as a writer and actress for the comedy website CollegeHumor before becoming a writer for the television sketch comedy ser ...
, TKO (punches)
, Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann
,
, align="center" , 2
, align="center" , 4:28
, Kansas City, Kansas
Kansas City, abbreviated as "KCK", is the third-largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas, and the county seat of Wyandotte County. It is an inner suburb of the older and more populous Kansas City, Missouri, after which it is named. As of ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 6–2
, Felice Herrig
Felice Nicole Herrig (born September 18, 1984) is an American retired kickboxer, Muay Thai fighter, and mixed martial artist who competed in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) in the strawweight division.
Background
Herrig was born in Buf ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, XFC 15: Tribute
,
, align="center" , 3
, align="center" , 5:00
, Tampa, Florida
Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...
, United States
,
, -
, Loss
, align="center" , 5–2
, Jessica Aguilar
Jessica Aguilar (born May 8, 1982) is a Mexican-American mixed martial artist who competes in RIZIN. At the time of her voluntary departure from World Series of Fighting, she was the reigning WSOF Women's Strawweight Champion. Aguilar previously ...
, Decision (split)
, Bellator 46
2011 in Bellator MMA was the fourth installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships. Mixed martial arts tournaments were held in multiple weight classes, including three of the original tournament classes: Welterweight, Lightweight and Feathe ...
,
, align="center" , 3
, align="center" , 5:00
, Hollywood, Florida, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 5–1
, Yadira Anzaldua
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, ECSC: Friday Night Fights 3
,
, align="center" , 1
, align="center" , 0:53
, Clovis, New Mexico
Clovis is a city in and the county seat of Curry County, New Mexico. The city had a population of 37,775 as of the 2010 census, and a 2019 estimated population of 38,319. Clovis is located in the New Mexico portion of the Llano Estacado, in the ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 4–1
, Nina Ansaroff
Nina Ann Nunes (; born December 3, 1985) is an American former mixed martial artist who most competed in the women's flyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Background
Nunes was born and raised in Weston, Florida. Her materna ...
, Decision (split)
, Crowbar MMA: Winter Brawl
,
, align="center" , 3
, align="center" , 5:00
,
,
, -
, Loss
, align="center" , 3–1
, Megumi Fujii
Megumi Fujii (藤井 恵 ''Fujii Megumi'', born April 26, 1974) is a retired Japanese mixed martial artist.
Biography
Fujii started Judo at the age of 3 due to her father's influence and continued Judo at Shukugawa Gakuin Junior High School a ...
, Submission (armbar)
, Bellator 24
2010 in Bellator MMA was the second installment of the Bellator Fighting Championships (Bellator FC)-produced series. It started on April 8, 2010 and ended June 24, 2010. Tournaments were held in the featherweight, lightweight, welterweight and ...
,
, align="center" , 2
, align="center" , 0:57
, Hollywood, Florida, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 3–0
, Lacey Schuckman
, Submission (rear-naked choke)
, NMEF - Ladies Night: Clash of the Titans 8
,
, align="center" , 2
, align="center" , 2:37
, Castle Rock, Colorado
Castle Rock is a home rule town that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Douglas County, Colorado, United States. The town population was 73,158 at the 2020 United States Census, a 51.68% increase since the 2010 United St ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 2–0
, Karina Hallinan
,
, Long Beach Fight Night 8
,
, align="center" , 2
, align="center" , 2:16
, Long Beach, California
Long Beach is a city in Los Angeles County, California. It is the 42nd-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 466,742 as of 2020. A charter city, Long Beach is the seventh-most populous city in California.
Incorporate ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align="center" , 1–0
, Cassie Trost
, TKO (punches)
, Respect in the Cage 3
,
, align="center" , 1
, align="center" , 0:48
, Pomona, California
Pomona is a city in Los Angeles County, California. Pomona is located in the Pomona Valley, between the Inland Empire and the San Gabriel Valley. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 151,713. The main campus of California State Pol ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 3–0
, Jessica Penne
Jessica Marie Penne (born January 30, 1983) is an American professional mixed martial artist. Penne currently competes in the Women's Strawweight division for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She was the first Invicta FC Atomweight Cha ...
, Decision (unanimous)
, rowspan=3, The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned
, (airdate)
, align=center, 3
, align=center, 5:00
, rowspan=3, Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas (; Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the state of Nevada, and the county seat of Clark County. The city anchors the Las Vega ...
, United States
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 2–0
, Tecia Torres
Tecia Lyn Torres Moncaio (born August 16, 1989) is an American mixed martial artist who is currently competing in the strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). As of October 24, 2022, she is #8 in the UFC women's straww ...
, Decision (majority)
, (airdate)
, align=center, 2
, align=center, 5:00
,
, -
, Win
, align=center, 1–0
, Angela Hill
Angela Patrice Hill (born January 12, 1985) is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the strawweight division. She was formerly signed with the Invicta Fighting Championships, of which she was the strawweight champion. She is also ...
, Submission (standing rear-naked choke)
, (airdate)
, align=center, 1
, align=center, 3:42
,
See also
* List of current UFC fighters
* List of female mixed martial artists
This is a list of notable ''female'' mixed martial arts fighters in alphabetical order.
A
* Mariya Agapova - ( UFC, Invicta)
* Jessica Aguilar - ( UFC, Bellator, WSOF)
* Hitomi Akano - ( M-1, Strikeforce, Pancrase, JEWELS, Smackgir ...
References
External links
*
*
Carla Esparza
at Invicta FC
Invicta Fighting Championships, also known as Invicta FC, is an American professional mixed martial arts (MMA) promotion dedicated to Women's mixed martial arts that was founded in 2012 by Janet Martin and Shannon Knapp. The promotion is current ...
Carla Esparza Awakening Profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Esparza, Carla
1987 births
Sportspeople from Torrance, California
American female mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists from California
American mixed martial artists of Mexican descent
Strawweight mixed martial artists
Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling
Mixed martial artists utilizing Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Living people
Menlo College alumni
American people of Irish descent
American people of Ecuadorian descent
American sportspeople of Latin American descent
American sportspeople of South American descent
Sportspeople of Ecuadorian descent
Ultimate Fighting Championship champions
Ultimate Fighting Championship female fighters
American female sport wrestlers
Amateur wrestlers
American practitioners of Brazilian jiu-jitsu
Female Brazilian jiu-jitsu practitioners
21st-century American women