LAS VEGAS — UFC heavyweight Shane Del Rosario died almost exactly one year ago on Dec. 9, 2013. His presence is still felt perpetually at his beloved gym, Team Oyama in Irvine, Calif.
The program’s patriarch, Colin Oyama, just spoke with Del Rosario’s father this week. And Carla Esparza said she thought of her former teammate often while she was in The Ultimate Fighter house over the summer, leading into her just-completed training camp.
“I definitely had Shane a lot in my mind in these last couple of fights that I’ve had on the show, especially with it being kind of close to the time he passed away last year,” Esparza told MMA Fighting. “Definitely I feel it wearing on my gym and wearing on my coach, who was very close to him.”
Esparza will get the chance to bring gold back to Team Oyama at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale on Friday night here at Palms Casino Resort. She’ll meet Rose Namajunas in the UFC’s inaugural women’s strawweight title bout after winning all three of her fights this season on the reality series.
After Del Rosario went into cardiac arrest, Esparza dedicated her fight against Claudia Gadelha at Invicta FC 7 to him. At the time, Esparza was Invicta’s women’s strawweight champion. But the bout never happened when Gadelha fell ill after weigh-ins and had to withdraw.
“She’s saved up all that pent-up frustration,” Oyama told MMA Fighting. “She’s kept it all in, bottled up for the last year. I think it will definitely motivate her.”
Del Rosario died two days after the Invicta event due to complications from a heart ailment no one knew he had. It was a rough time for Team Oyama, especially for the coach and Ian McCall, Del Rosario’s training partner and best friend.
McCall is on the verge of furhter success himself with a UFC flyweight No. 1 contender fight against John Lineker coming up at UFC 184 on Feb. 28. Could Team Oyama have a pair of champions in 2015? Esparza has a solid chance to be the first.
“Carla has overcome a lot of things,” Oyama said. “The death of her grandparents. Dealing with personal issues. She’s done a great job of separating what she has to do as a professional fighter and the things she has to deal with in her personal life. Some people have a difficult time making that separation.”
Esparza, 27, is all business and maybe that’s why she’s not getting as much attention as Namajunas, who is already being billed by UFC president Dana White as the next Ronda Rousey.
“I don’t want to base it on sexuality or anything, but you’ve got your Ronda Rousey ‘who’s sexiest?’ contest, which is not what this is about,” McCall said. “We always tell Carla, this isn’t a f—ing fashion show. This isn’t a modeling contest. You’re a fighter. You act like a fighter, you work like a fighter, you get treated like a fighter. You do girly s— on the side. I’m not here to play dolls with you. I’m here to beat you up.”
For her part, Esparza doesn’t mind not getting all the hype. She’d prefer to just get all the wins.
“I enjoy being the underdog,” Esparza said. “It kind of gives me less pressure and more to live up to.”
Esparza’s wrestling skills are unquestioned and her striking is underrated. But also, the way Oyama sees it, her mental strength and experience in five-round championship fights will give her the edge against Namajunas.
The loss to Del Rosario helped teach Esparza a lesson and maybe that’s why her thoughts drifted toward her friend during those tough times in TUF house.
“I definitely don’t want to live with any regret and I want to do everything I set out to,” Esparza said.