SALT LAKE CITY – Unlike a lot of sports retirements, particularly ones in MMA it seems, Carla Esparza said she thinks hers will stick.
Nearly 10 years ago, Esparza became an integral part of the UFC history books when she became the inaugural women’s strawweight champion with a submission of future champ Rose Namajunas. Their fight closed out the first women’s season of “The Ultimate Fighter.
And though Esparza lost the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in her first attempted defense in early 2015, she went 8-3 over a six-year stretch and improbably, given the distance from her first title, she won the belt again with an upset of Namajunas. Her time between belts remains the longest in UFC history.
Saturday, Esparza (20-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC) is back in action for the first time since she lost the 115-pound belt to Zhang Weili. She’ll take on fellow “TUF 20” alum Tecia Pennington (13-7 MMA, 9-7 UFC) on the early prelims at UFC 307 (pay-per-view, ESPNews, ESPN+) at Delta Center.
But for real: This will be it, she said.
“Most definitely – no matter the outcome, (even if it’s a) one-minute finish, I think this is it for me,” Esparza said at Wednesday’s media day. “I’m kind of ready to move on to that next chapter in life, just staying home with my son, maybe growing a bigger family. It’s going to be a little bit hard to get back in the octagon, big belly like that.”
Esparza lost the title to Weili in November 2022. She gave birth to her first child in September 2023. This layoff represents the longest lull in activity of her career.
But it’s possible the throes of being a newlywed and having a newborn around have made Esparza, who will turn 37 next week, look at things differently knowing it’s her swan song.
“I’m really just trying to enjoy the moment and kind of have a more carefree attitude and just have fun with everyone,” she said. “Normally, I would just be a hermit in my room and super focused, but now I’m just enjoying every aspect of it, trying to take more pictures, document a little bit more. I’m doing an after-party and having all my friends that are coming out for lunch after weigh-ins – just having fun and appreciating the people and the experience of fight week.”
She also knows that time when things weren’t great, or when she was building back from title losses, can be a motivator for people around her.
“I would say the biggest thing I want people to remember from my story is never count yourself out. You can fall, but you can always build your way back up, and if you put enough work in and you want it enough, you can always come back better.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 307.
