Carla Esparza is calling it a career.
“Cookie Monster” will compete in her final MMA fight when she collides with Tecia Torres Pennington as part of the upcoming UFC 307 pay-per-view (PPV) event, recently made official for Sat., Oct. 5, 2024 at Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
“I will be stepping into the UFC Octagon on Saturday, October 5th for the final time,” Esparza wrote on social media. “After almost 15 years as a professional, fighting the best of the best, I feel it’s time to hang up my gloves. This choice is made for my body and my family; 20+ years doing combat sports takes its toll.”
Esparza, 36, is a two-time strawweight champion and the winner of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 20, where she defeated longtime rival Rose Namajunas to capture the glass trophy. “Cookie Monster” (19-7) has not competed since her submission loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 281 back in late 2022.
“I wanted to give my ‘Cookie Monster’ fans, who have never been there to watch me live, one final opportunity,” Esparza continued. “It feels bittersweet to leave this sport that I love so much, but I’m happy to be doing it on my own terms.”
UFC 307 will also feature the featherweight showdown between Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling. Elsewhere on the card, Kevin Holland and Chris Curtis collide at middleweight, not long after Jose Aldo and Mario Bautista hook ‘em up at 135 pounds.
Stay tuned for more UFC 307 fight card announcements in the coming weeks.