After becoming the first-ever UFC strawweight champion, the next item on Carla Esparza’s agenda is making sure she doesn’t also become her division’s first one-and-done.
The Redondo Beach, Calif. native nicknamed “The Cookie Monster” will make her first title defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 in Dallas on March 14. The UFC tweeted out the news on Wednesday night.
Esparza (10-2), who entered The Ultimate Fighter 20 as the reigning Invicta 115-pound champ, added the UFC title to her collection by finishing Rose Namajunas last month at the TUF 20 Finale in Las Vegas. The bout was her fifth consecutive win.
Many expected Esparza to next clash with Brazil’s Claudia Gadelha, whom she was scheduled to fight on two separate occasions in Invicta.
But the undefeated Jedrzejczyk (8-0) upset those plans. The Poland native bested Gadelha in a split decision at UFC on FOX 13, after a brawl which included punches exchanged between the two after the horn.
The bout is the second announcement in recent days regarding the Dallas show. Tuesday, the company announced that local favorite Johny Hendricks would take on Matt Brown.