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Carla Esparza Reacts To Dana White’s ‘Other Option’ For Rose Namajunas

Former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza isn’t happy with UFC president Dana White’s apparent reluctance to book a Rose Namajunas bout.

Esparza has been on a tear as of late, with a five-fight winning streak over top contenders such as Marina …

Former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza isn’t happy with UFC president Dana White’s apparent reluctance to book a Rose Namajunas bout.

Esparza has been on a tear as of late, with a five-fight winning streak over top contenders such as Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson. In her last fight, she put on a dominant performance in a TKO victory over Yan Xiaonan at UFC Vegas 27.

Many believed that Esparza would be next in line for the title shot against Namajunas. But, the UFC opted to go with a Zhang Weili title rematch for Namajunas’ first title defense in her second stint as champion.

After UFC 268, White seemed vague about could be next for Namajunas, and specifically the possibility of Esparza getting the next shot at the belt.

“We have another option [for Namajunas],” White said at the UFC 268 post-fight presser. “You don’t sit around and wait for fights, it’s a really bad idea.”

Esparza defeated Namajunas for the inaugural strawweight championship in 2014, submitting her in Round 3 with a rear-naked choke. She went on to lose the belt in her first defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185.

Carla Esparza Is A Top Contender After Beating Yan Xiaonan

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie, Esparza shared her thoughts on White’s recent comments about the strawweight title picture.

“Honestly that’s how I feel, that there’s not a lot of other options,” Esparza said. “I’d love to hear what the UFC or Dana [White] would come for as the next option that they’re kind of talking about. But I personally, as a fan of the division and this sport, couldn’t think of any other fight that makes sense, so we’ll see what they come up with. It’s a fight that she wants, it’s a fight that I want, so hopefully, it happens.”

An Esparza/Namajunas rematch would surely entice fans and would be an important fight in many eyes for the strawweight division. While it’s unclear what’s officially next for Namajunas and Esparza, a second bout could be on the horizon, despite White’s preliminary disinterest.

Do you think Carla Esparza should get the next strawweight title shot against Rose Namajunas?

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Rose Namajunas: Carla Esparza Is The Only Fight That ‘Makes Sense’

Rose Namajunas expects her next strawweight title defence to come against Carla Esparza. ‘Thug Rose’ defended her 115lb title after a close five-round fight with Weili Zhang in the UFC 268 co-main event this past weekend after KO’ing the Chinese fighter inside one round earlier this year. Esparza, who is on a five-fight win streak […]

Rose Namajunas expects her next strawweight title defence to come against Carla Esparza.

‘Thug Rose’ defended her 115lb title after a close five-round fight with Weili Zhang in the UFC 268 co-main event this past weekend after KO’ing the Chinese fighter inside one round earlier this year.

Esparza, who is on a five-fight win streak and can consider herself unlucky to have missed out on facing Namajunas at UFC 268, was quick to take to social media post-fight to congratulate the champ on her hard-fought victory.

“Congratulations @rosenamajunas on a fantastic victory!” Esparza wrote on her Instagram. “Inspiring to so many and I am truly happy for you Fate had us cross paths when we created this division and I’m proud that 7 years later we are both still here at the top of it.”

Esparza become the inaugural strawweight UFC champion when she picked up a third-round submission win over Namajunas in 2014. ‘The Cookie Monster’ appears to be next in line for a shot at 115lb gold but Dana White seems to have someone else in mind as Namajunas’ next opponent.

“We have an option,” White said at the UFC 268 post-fight presser. “You don’t sit around and wait for fights, it’s a really bad idea.”

Rose Namajunas Believes Carla Esparza Is The Obvious Option For Her Next Fight

“I don’t see anything else [that] makes sense,” Namajunas said Monday on The MMA Hour.

The 29-year-old insists she has no ill-will towards Esparza and is looking forward to rematching her purely for the sake of competition.

“I think she’s going to give it all she’s got,” Namajunas said. “Before I said Weili is for sure the most dangerous threat right now, just because of the tools that she possessed. Now, after that, Carla’s for sure going to be the most dangerous opponent right this second because of where she’s at, her last performance and all this stuff, and she’s going to be very motivated to try – she’s fought for a long time.

“I would imagine that she’s going to be pretty motivated for this huge opportunity. So that is something that really excites me and interests me more now than it was before.”

Should Carla Esparza get the next crack at Rose Namajunas?

Carla Esparza Congratulates Rose Namajunas, Hopes To Face Her Next

Carla Esparza congratulated Rose Namajunas and is hoping to face her next. Namajunas defended her women’s strawweight title last night at UFC 268 after earning a hard-fought and razor-thin split decision victory over Weili Zhang in their rematch. Of course, there was an argument that Esparza — who is on a five-fight winning streak — […]

Carla Esparza congratulated Rose Namajunas and is hoping to face her next.

Namajunas defended her women’s strawweight title last night at UFC 268 after earning a hard-fought and razor-thin split decision victory over Weili Zhang in their rematch.

Of course, there was an argument that Esparza — who is on a five-fight winning streak — should have been the one to face Namajunas. Especially as she also holds a prior win over the current champion.

However, that’s in the past for Esparza who took to Instagram to congratulate Namajunas. She concluded by stating it would be an honor to run things back.

“Congratulations @rosenamajunas on a fantastic victory!” Esparza wrote on her Instagram. “Inspiring to so many and and I am truly happy for you Fate had us cross paths when we created this division and I’m proud that 7 years later we are both still here at the top of it.

“This is not a call out or anything disrespectful… this is genuine respect. You deserve time to celebrate and enjoy this accomplishment. It will be an honor to run this back when you are ready.”

White: We Have An Option Other Than Esparza

Namajunas will need some time to recover before she competes again and so, it would make sense for Esparza to simply wait for her title shot.

UFC president Dana White, however, is not a fan of fighters waiting on the sidelines for a title shot and revealed he had another option for Namajunas to face.

“We have an option,” White said at the UFC 268 post-fight presser (via MMA Fighting). “You don’t sit around and wait for fights, it’s a really bad idea.”

Esparza last competed in May when she TKO’d Yan Xioanan.

Should Carla Esparza get the next title shot?

Rose Namajunas Looking Forward To Rematch With Carla Esparza

UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas has her eyes set on a rematch with Carla Esparza following her UFC 268 victory.

Namajunas earned another win over Zhang Weili in the UFC 268 co-main event, but it was a different fight from their first bout. …

UFC Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas has her eyes set on a rematch with Carla Esparza following her UFC 268 victory.

Namajunas earned another win over Zhang Weili in the UFC 268 co-main event, but it was a different fight from their first bout. It was a back-and-forth war from start to finish, with Namajunas getting the split-decision victory.

While it’s possible that Namajunas could fight Weili for the third time in the future, she has her eyes set on an old foe in Carla Esparza. The two strawweight stars met for the inaugural strawweight title in 2014, with Esparza earning the late submission win.

After her win over Weili, Namajunas spoke about what’s next for the UFC strawweight division and specifically about Esparza being the next possible challenger.

Rose Namajunas Thinks Carla Esparza Is Next For Title Shot

“I mean, she was on my mind before going into this one,” Namajunas said during her post-fight press conference. “So that seems that’s the logical step. But I gotta see what the UFC’s thinking, I guess. But yeah, I would love to fight Carla.”

Namajunas began her second stint as strawweight queen by knocking out Weili in the first round at UFC 261 earlier this year. Before that, she had earned her first title by earning back-to-back wins over Joanna Jedrzecjzyk.

Esparza has been on a tear with five straight wins, including most recently against Yan Xiaonan at UFC Vegas 27. She’s also earned wins over top contenders such as Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson on her way to the potential title shot.

Namajunas and Esparza got the UFC’s strawweight division started with their bout in 2014, and they could certainly meet for a rematch shortly. Both fighters have drastically improved since their first bout and could put on an entertaining fight for the masses.

How do you think a Rose Namajunas vs. Carla Esparza title rematch would play out?

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Namajunas “For Sure” Would Love To Avenge Past Loss To Esparza

UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas says she would love to avenge her past defeat to #3-ranked contender Carla Esparza. The pair fought at The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale in December 2014. Esparza became the inaugural 115-pound UFC champ by submitting Namajunas via rear-naked choke in the third round. After dropping […]

Continue Reading Namajunas “For Sure” Would Love To Avenge Past Loss To Esparza at MMA News.

UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Rose Namajunas says she would love to avenge her past defeat to #3-ranked contender Carla Esparza.

The pair fought at The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale in December 2014. Esparza became the inaugural 115-pound UFC champ by submitting Namajunas via rear-naked choke in the third round. After dropping the belt to Joanna J?drzejczyk in her next fight, “Cookie Monster” went on an inconsistent run that saw her go 3-3 in her next six Octagon outings.

However, Esparza has since built one of the most impressive win streaks in the promotion. The former champ followed consecutive losses to Cláudia Gadelha and Tatiana Suarez with victories over Virna Jandiroba, Alexa Grasso, Michelle Waterson, and Marina Rodriguez.

Having accumulated five wins on the bounce, Esparza was matched with top-five strawweight Yan Xiaonan in the UFC Vegas 27 co-main event in May. With a brutal second-round TKO, the Californian became the first woman to defeat “Fury” in nearly 11 years, and burst into title contention in emphatic fashion.

During Esparza’s climb back towards the top of the strawweight ladder, Namajunas achieved title glory twice. At UFC 261 in April, “Thug Rose” became the first woman in UFC history to regain a belt when she dethroned Zhang Weili. While many expected the new champ’s first defense of her second reign to be a rematch with former foe Esparza, “Magnum” was granted an immediate chance at redemption.

During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Namajunas gave her thoughts on the promotion’s decision to snub the surging Esparza. Despite admitting that she’d initially expected to be running it back with “Cookie Monster,” the 29-year-old suggested Zhang is the most dangerous opponent she could face.

“Originally, I was, just ’cause of how impressive Carla looked. But I think when I step out of my shoes and into the UFC’s shoes, I guess that’s what makes more sense to them. And then when I really think about it, Weili is still the most dangerous opponent I could face. But in all actuality, at the end of the day, I don’t think it really matters who I fight because opponents can change. All that matters to me is just being ready for a fight November 6.”

Nevertheless, should she defend her gold against her Chinese rival at UFC 268 next month, “Thug Rose” is keen to avenge her 2014 defeat to Esparza. That’s assuming the 34-year-old’s place as top contender remains secure. UFC President Dana White recently advised Esparza to remain active to avoid losing her spot in the queue.

“Would I want to get that one back? Of course. I was kinda stuck on that at first. But I kinda had to step outside myself and be like, ‘Well, I gotta be ready for whoever,’ you know what I mean? And Weili is more dangerous in my opinion. So if I really want to challenge myself, that’s the challenge that’s gonna get me back a little bit more. But do I want to fight Carla eventually? Yes, as long as she keeps winning or if something else doesn’t happen, I would for sure want to fight her,” said Namajunas.

Would you like to see Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza rematch for the strawweight title?

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Dana White’s Advice For Carla Esparza: If You Get Offered A Fight, Take It

UFC President Dana White has advised women’s strawweight Carla Esparza to remain active rather than wait for a title shot from the sidelines. Esparza was last in action at UFC Vegas 27 in May. In the card’s co-main event, she faced top-five contender Yan Xiaonan. Against an opponent unbeaten since 2010 and boasting a perfect […]

Continue Reading Dana White’s Advice For Carla Esparza: If You Get Offered A Fight, Take It at MMA News.

UFC President Dana White has advised women’s strawweight Carla Esparza to remain active rather than wait for a title shot from the sidelines.

Esparza was last in action at UFC Vegas 27 in May. In the card’s co-main event, she faced top-five contender Yan Xiaonan. Against an opponent unbeaten since 2010 and boasting a perfect 6-0 UFC record, “Cookie Monster” looked phenomenal. Esparza finished “Fury” with some brutal second-round ground-and-pound.

Esparza’s win streak has perhaps slid under the radar slightly, but it is truly remarkable. The 24-fight veteran has hit the form of her life since suffering consecutive losses to Cláudia Gadelha and Tatiana Suarez in 2018. In her four fights after, Esparza defeated Virna Jandiroba, Alexa Grasso, Michelle Waterson, and Marina Rodriguez. Her win over China’s Xiaonan extended her streak to five and firmly placed her in the title conversation.

Given that she boasts one of the UFC’s best win streaks in terms of name value, many expected Esparza to be the first challenger to champion Rose Namajunas’ second reign as strawweight queen. Not only was she deserving, but the story was there. At The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale, “Cookie Monster” defeated “Thug Rose” by way of a third-round rear-naked choke. The victory saw her crowned the inaugural UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion.

Running that back seven years later having gone full circle with Namajunas now as champion made great sense. In the eyes of Dana White and the UFC brass, a rematch between the champ and Zhang Weili made better sense. “Magnum” was dethroned by Namajunas at UFC 261 in April. She was caught with a vicious head kick in the opening frame. The defeat marked the end of her 21-fight win streak.

With the pair set to collide again next month, many have pondered who will be next for the victor. Despite suggesting she wants to remain active, Esparza recently told MMA Fighting that she wants the next championship opportunity, and will be waiting to assess her future after Namajunas vs. Zhang 2.

According to Dana White, waiting for a title shot is never a good strategy. Speaking at the press conference that followed this week’s episode of Dana White’s Contender Series, the UFC kingpin said plans often fall through when fighters sit on the sidelines instead of fighting.

“I don’t ever agree with that. I mean, you’ve seen what happens in the past. When you try to sit out and wait for a title fight, it usually doesn’t happen. Stuff never falls the way that it’s supposed to, and you end up sitting out for too long, and people start to forget about you. It’s never a wise decision to just sit out. If you get offered a fight, you should take it.”

White had a similar message for welterweight contender Leon Edwards earlier this year. Despite his victory over Nate Diaz at UFC 263 extending his unbeaten streak to 10, “Rocky” still found himself behind Colby Covington in the queue. That’s despite the fact “Chaos” has fought once since his title loss to Kamaru Usman in 2019. It appears White’s advice on staying active doesn’t apply to the controversial former interim champ.

While Edwards has decided to clash with rival Jorge Masvidal in a bid to secure his place opposite the Usman vs. Covington 2 winner, Carla Esparza will make her decision following the UFC 268 co-main event.

Should the fight end in a similar fashion to Namajunas’ first clash with Zhang, it stands to reason that “Cookie Monster” will get her chance to fight for gold again in early 2022. If the champ is facing a lengthy layoff, and a top contender like Marina Rodriguez further establishes herself in the title picture, the 34-year-old may be left needing another victory to secure her shot.

Do you think Carla Esparza should wait for a title shot?

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