Tag: Carla Esparza

Esparza Claims Zhang Weili Turned Down Two Fights While Champion

Carla Esparza is now in the driver’s seat regarding a matchup with Zhang Weili. With the UFC strawweight championship belt securely in the hands of newly crowned champion Carla Esparza, she is calling her own shots. The bout between Zhang Weili and Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 275 was supposed to determine the next title challenger…

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Carla Esparza is now in the driver’s seat regarding a matchup with Zhang Weili.

With the UFC strawweight championship belt securely in the hands of newly crowned champion Carla Esparza, she is calling her own shots. The bout between Zhang Weili and Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 275 was supposed to determine the next title challenger according to UFC President Dana White. With Weili coming out victorious a bout with Esparza should be set, however, Esparza isn’t ready to sign that contract so quickly.

“I’ve actually accepted two fights with Weili and she turned them down when she was champ,” Esparza told MMA Fighting. “So I’m not afraid to fight anybody. I just gotta do it on my timeline.”

Esparza is claiming that during Weili’s title run the UFC tried to match them up on multiple occasions. Weili was the strawweight champion from 2019 to 2021. During that time, she only faced two opponents, Rose Namajunas, and J?drzejczyk. Meanwhile, Esparza was staying active with four fights of her own. She explained why she didn’t fight Weili back then.

“Yes, when there was kind of a hold on the fight that was supposed to happen with Rose and Weili, they offered me the fight with Weili twice, and I accepted both times. One was a little longer time, one was short notice,” she explained. “But, I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t care if it’s one week, the opportunity to fight for the belt, I’m gonna take any opportunity.’ And I said yes, and she said no.”

Esparza only won the belt about a month ago and is adamant that her first title defense happens on her timeline. There has been some backlash from these comments, some implying that Esparza may be scared to face Weili. She denies these claims and states that, in fact, she will accept the fight as she has done twice before.

“So, I even have messages from people who saw the media being ready to put out at one of the pay-per-views, I think in like, November or something, where they were ready to announce the fight between me and Weili, but they kept waiting to hear back from her, if she was gonna accept it, and it ended up that she didn’t,” she said.

Do you think Carla Esparza will make her first title defense against Zhang Weili?

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Carla Esparza Believes That Marina Rodriguez Deserves No.1 Contender Spot Over Zhang Weili

carla esparzaUFC strawweight champion, Carla Esparza believes that Marina Rodriguez deserves the next title shot over Zhang Weili. Following her sensational rematch win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk, former champion Zhang Weili called for and was anointed the number one contender spot. However, the current champion, Carla Esparza believes that Marina Rodriguez, a former opponent, is more deserving […]

carla esparza

UFC strawweight champion, Carla Esparza believes that Marina Rodriguez deserves the next title shot over Zhang Weili.

Following her sensational rematch win over Joanna Jedrzejczyk, former champion Zhang Weili called for and was anointed the number one contender spot. However, the current champion, Carla Esparza believes that Marina Rodriguez, a former opponent, is more deserving of a title shot.

“I don’t think [Zhang] is [more deserving],” Esparza said to MMA Fighting. “I think that Marina has won five straight, I think she’s beaten top-level competition. She’s been staying active, and for me, she’s proven herself. She deserves a title shot. But for whatever reason, I’m sure there’s a lot that goes into it and Weili is getting the shot.”

Rodriguez is currently riding a four-fight win streak after being defeated by Esparza in August of 2020. The Brazilian has produced some great wins over the likes of Mackenzie Dern, Michelle Waterson, and Amanda Ribas.

Although Esparza feels that Rodriguez Is the most deserving and recognizes the improvements in her game, she isn’t fazed about who’s put in front of her even if she feels it isn’t the deserving opponent.

“For me, I fight whoever’s put in front of me,  Esparza said. But doesn’t necessarily mean I think it’s fair or was the right call as far as the athlete goes. Every time I watch Marina, I see her getting better and better and beating top girls. Even having to knock somebody out twice in one fight in Amanda Ribas. She’s impressive.

“I definitely think she earned the title fight, and this is just the way it goes with the UFC sometimes. Whether it’s marketing or whatever else the reasoning, that’s just kind of how it goes, and you have to just roll with the punches.”

Although there is no set date for Esparza’s first title defense of her second reign as champion, it will undoubtedly be with either Zhang Weili or Marina Rodriguez. Of the other top five, Esparza is just fresh off a win over Rose Namajunas [No.1], with Dana White shutting down talks of a third fight between them.

As for Mackenzie Dern [No.4] and Yan Xianan [No.5], Rodriguez has beaten both back-to-back in the past eight months.

Carla Esparza talking to MMA Fighting

Do you agree with Carla Esparza? Does Marina Rodriguez deserve the next shot

Esparza On Potential Shevchenko SW Arrival: “That Would Be Scary”

UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza believes a considerable amount of fear would be injected into the 115-pound division if flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko made the drop down. Shevchenko has ruled over the 125-pound landscape since 2018, successfully defending the title seven times and clearing out most of her competition in the division. With that…

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UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza believes a considerable amount of fear would be injected into the 115-pound division if flyweight queen Valentina Shevchenko made the drop down.

Shevchenko has ruled over the 125-pound landscape since 2018, successfully defending the title seven times and clearing out most of her competition in the division. With that in mind, many have pondered potential ventures that “Bullet” could undertake beyond her natural weight.

While a bantamweight move for either a trilogy with Amanda Nunes or a rematch with Julianna Peña has appeared to pique her interest, Shevchenko has also somewhat left the door open to going in the other direction.

Prior to her latest championship retention at UFC 275, Shevchenko was asked whether a move down to strawweight would be possible during a fan Q&A. In response, the Kyrgyzstani acknowledged the difficulties it would involve, but certainly didn’t rule it out.

“Yeah, it’s gonna be interesting proposal. Going to strawweight means you have a serious weight (cut), but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible,” said Shevchenko. “Being a professional, you have to consider, if you cut too much weight to strawweight, how are you going to fight at bantamweight? … Everything is possible.” (h/t Sportskeeda MMA)

The verdict from the strawweight queen? ‘No thanks’.

Esparza, who is in the midst of her second reign on the 115-pound throne after unseating Rose Namajunas in a lackluster UFC 274 co-main event last month, was asked her thoughts about a potential Shevchenko arrival in the division while speaking with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn.

“Cookie Monster” suggested that Shevchenko, whom Esparza regards as the female MMA GOAT, would instill fear into the strawweight roster, especially with how she dealt with a pair of the division’s former champs up at flyweight.

“Well, that would be scary,” admitted Esparza with a laugh. “She is like, you know, a beast, for sure. I think that she would definitely put some fear in a lot of strawweights’ hearts. I mean, if you look at (Jéssica) Andrade and Joanna (J?drzejczyk), some of the most dominant strawweights in the division, they go up, fight her, and they get destroyed.

“It’s hard to say what a weight cut would do to her, ’cause that’s a little, you know, a bit to go. But yeah, that would be scary… For me, Valentina, I consider her the GOAT of women’s MMA,” added Esparza.

For now, it seems Esparza will need to turn her attention to another dangerous opponent in the form of Weili Zhang, who likely secured her place as the first challenger to the American’s second reign with her highlight-reel finish of J?drzejczyk in Singapore on June 11.

Perhaps the silver lining of a defeat for either women would be avoiding a potential meeting with Shevchenko down the line.

How do you think Carla Esparza would fare against Valentina Shevchenko?

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Daniel Cormier Believes Weili vs. Esparza Could Make MMA History

Daniel Cormier thinks a lot of money will be bet on former strawweight champion Zhang Weili against current titleholder Carla Esparza. Weili seems to have earned the next strawweight title shot after a knockout win over Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 275. She bounced back following back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas. The door to a quick…

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Daniel Cormier thinks a lot of money will be bet on former strawweight champion Zhang Weili against current titleholder Carla Esparza.

Weili seems to have earned the next strawweight title shot after a knockout win over Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 275. She bounced back following back-to-back losses to Rose Namajunas.

The door to a quick turnaround towards another title shot opened up for Weili when Namajunas fell to Esparza via a split decision at UFC 274. This prompted UFC President Dana White to proclaim Weili vs. J?drzejczyk as a No. 1 contender fight instead of the surging Marina Rodriguez getting the next shot.

Cormier thinks the odds will be stacked in favor of Weili ahead of their expected title fight, especially after Esparza’s lackluster win over Namajunas versus Weili’s highlight finish.

During a recent episode of his DC&RC show, Cormier claimed that Weili could make history before she squares off with Esparza.

“She may be honestly the biggest challenger in terms of a favorite going into a fight that you’ve ever seen in the UFC,” Cormier said of Weili. “She’s gonna be a massive favorite over Carla Esparza.” (h/t MMA Junkie)

Esparza earned wins over the likes of Yan Xiaonan, Michelle Waterson, and Rodriguez on her way to the title shot against Namajunas. She earned the then-vacant strawweight title over Namajunas on The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale.

Weili called for a fight with Esparza in Abu Dhabi later this year, but Esparza seems non-committal to fulfilling her wish. Esparza got married following her win over Namajunas and it’s unclear when she’ll return for her first title defense as the new champion.

Cormier, as well as many other UFC fans and pundits, feel that Esparza’s second strawweight title reign may be short-lived ahead of her fight against Weili.

Do you give Carla Esparza a chance to defeat Zhang Weili?

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Carla Esparza On The Title Fight Against Zhang Weili:’I’m The Champion, and I Feel She Needs To Go On My Timeline’

Carla EsparzaUFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza doesn’t feel the need to rush into a title defense against Zhang Weili anytime soon. Weili looks to be the next title challenger in the division, as she is coming off a stunning spinning backfist KO over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 275. he former champion is looking to reclaim what […]

Carla Esparza

UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza doesn’t feel the need to rush into a title defense against Zhang Weili anytime soon.

Weili looks to be the next title challenger in the division, as she is coming off a stunning spinning backfist KO over Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 275. he former champion is looking to reclaim what she lost to Rose Namjunas back at UFC 261.

Esparza won the title off of Rose Namajunas last month at UFC 274. It may have gone down as one of the most anticlimactic fights in championship history, but Esparza was able to claim victory that night and feels no need to jump into another fight anytime soon.

Carla Esparza feels like she should have that luxury as the champion, and that Weili should be fighting on her timeline, not what is best for Weili.

“I definitely don’t feel like I’m in a position where I should rush just because Weili wants a certain date,” Esparza said. “I’m not trying to go on her timeline. I’m the champion, and I feel she needs to go on my timeline.” (Transcribed by the New York Post)

The first title reign Esparza had, she felt as if she rushed into a few fights too quickly and ultimately led to her losing the belt. This time around, she won’t make the same mistake.

“That was honestly a big regret of mine, letting the pressure push me into jumping back so quickly after having gone through so much fighting [on] ‘The Ultimate Fighter.’ ” she said. “That was my fifth fight in eight months. It’s really draining. That was a big regret of mine, not letting myself recover a little bit and jumping straight back into it because feeling pressured and wanting to make the UFC happy. But in the end, if I’m losing my title, then what was it all worth anyway?”

The fight will be made, but there is no timeline set in place just yet.

Carla Esparza Reminds Zhang Weili Who Has All The Leverage

UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza has reminded top contender Zhang Weili who calls the shots in the division. This past weekend, Weili rebounded from back-to-back defeats at the hands of Rose Namajunas in style. In a rematch with Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 275, “Magnum” looked back to her best, both on the ground in…

Continue Reading Carla Esparza Reminds Zhang Weili Who Has All The Leverage at MMA News.

UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza has reminded top contender Zhang Weili who calls the shots in the division.

This past weekend, Weili rebounded from back-to-back defeats at the hands of Rose Namajunas in style. In a rematch with Joanna J?drzejczyk at UFC 275, “Magnum” looked back to her best, both on the ground in the first round and with her striking in the second, the frame in which the fight would come to an end.

While the pair’s first clash was memorable for its back-and-forth nature across 25 minutes, their second dance will be remembered for delivering a Knockout of the Year contender courtesy of a spinning back fist from Weili.

With Dana White’s pre-fight comments, both women entered the Singapore-held event known that a win would secure them a shot at gold. And having come out on top, Weili called for her opportunity, and even gave a time and a place.

“So I want to fight with Carla at Abu Dhabi (because) I know there’s a (card there on October 22),” Zhang said during the UFC 275 post-fight press conference via a translator. “I think Carla is a special fighter, too, so I think that’s gonna be a really good fight, for me and for her. Not China, not US, we’re gonna fight at a third country so that it can be fair for both of us.”

The Chinese star has now received a response, but it’s perhaps not one that she’d have hoped for.

Speaking to the New York Post following this past weekend’s blockbuster pay-per-view, Esparza reacted to the emergence of the first challenger to her second reign and Weili’s Abu Dhabi proposal. The strawweight queen made it clear that she won’t be dictated by the #2-ranked contender and her requests.

“I definitely don’t feel like I’m in a position where I should rush just because Weili wants a certain date,” said Esparza. “I’m not trying to go on her timeline. I’m the champion, and I feel she needs to go on my timeline.”

Esparza regained her place on the 115-pound throne, which she first held back in 2014, with a second career victory over Namajunas last month. “Cookie Monster” earned the nod on the scorecards after a lackluster affair that saw both women criticized post-fight.

Having suggested that “Thug Rose” fought with the complete wrong attitude at UFC 274, it stands to reason that Weili won’t let her championship fight with Esparza go in the same direction.

And with Esparza evidently in no rush to defend the belt, “Magnum” will certainly have plenty of time to prepare for her attempt to become the third woman to regain a piece of UFC gold.

Do you think Zhang Weili will dethrone Carla Esparza when they share the Octagon?

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