Women's Strawweight · “Cookie Monster”
Carla Esparza
19-8-0 UFC 10-6-0
5'1"Height
63"Reach
OrthodoxStance
1987-10-10Born
1KO wins
1Sub wins
20.0%Finish rate
14:01Avg fight
Statistical profile
The shape of their game.
Percentile scores against UFC veterans — volume-aware, and honest about small samples. The rim is reserved for true specialists.
Radar — percentile vs UFC veterans
Career rates
Sig. strikes landed / min2.19
Sig. strikes absorbed / min2.87
Striking accuracy39.5%
Striking defense54.4%
Takedowns / 15 min3.28
Takedown accuracy36.3%
Takedown defense47.2%
Sub attempts / 15 min0.27
Control time28.3%
Record vs .500+ opponents8-5
Striking trend
Output, fight by fight.
Significant strikes landed per minute over the last 8 fights — green dots are wins, red are losses.
Fight history
Every walk to the cage.
16 UFC bouts, newest first. Tap a fight for the full stat line — opponent records are shown as of fight night.
L Tecia Pennington 9-7 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. · 2024-10-05
39/123Sig. strikes
80/150Absorbed
4/7Takedowns
3:40Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Zhang Weili 6-2 walk-in TITLE Submission · R2 1:05 — UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira · 2022-11-12
6/32Sig. strikes
37/78Absorbed
1/4Takedowns
0:55Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Rose Namajunas 9-3 walk-in TITLE Decision - Split · R5 5:00 — UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje · 2022-05-07
30/133Sig. strikes
37/136Absorbed
2/11Takedowns
0:22Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Yan Xiaonan 6-0 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 2:58 — UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt · 2021-05-22
27/33Sig. strikes
5/11Absorbed
3/3Takedowns
7:18Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Marina Rodriguez 2-0-2 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till · 2020-07-25
33/60Sig. strikes
40/76Absorbed
5/9Takedowns
8:54Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Michelle Waterson-Gomez 5-3 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje · 2020-05-09
45/103Sig. strikes
44/98Absorbed
1/10Takedowns
0:46Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Alexa Grasso 3-2 walk-in Decision - Majority · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Stephens · 2019-09-21
44/80Sig. strikes
45/103Absorbed
4/11Takedowns
7:12Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Virna Jandiroba 0-0 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Hermansson · 2019-04-27
25/51Sig. strikes
17/37Absorbed
4/10Takedowns
5:25Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Tatiana Suarez 3-0 walk-in KO/TKO · R3 4:33 — UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till · 2018-09-08
6/10Sig. strikes
82/98Absorbed
0/2Takedowns
0:04Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Claudia Gadelha 4-3 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 · 2018-06-09
43/103Sig. strikes
26/64Absorbed
2/4Takedowns
3:36Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Cynthia Calvillo 3-0 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 219: Cyborg vs. Holm · 2017-12-30
48/138Sig. strikes
38/112Absorbed
2/9Takedowns
0:22Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Maryna Moroz 3-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee · 2017-06-25
40/95Sig. strikes
38/119Absorbed
6/14Takedowns
6:22Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Randa Markos 2-3 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne · 2017-02-19
32/132Sig. strikes
48/110Absorbed
4/10Takedowns
2:45Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Juliana Lima 2-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 197: Jones vs Saint Preux · 2016-04-23
28/42Sig. strikes
26/43Absorbed
5/7Takedowns
9:35Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Joanna Jedrzejczyk 2-0 walk-in TITLE KO/TKO · R2 4:17 — UFC 185: Pettis vs Dos Anjos · 2015-03-14
4/22Sig. strikes
53/105Absorbed
1/17Takedowns
1:09Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Rose Namajunas 0-0 walk-in TITLE Submission · R3 1:26 — The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale · 2014-12-12
42/90Sig. strikes
28/72Absorbed
5/7Takedowns
5:03Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
Walk-in records count UFC bouts in this database. For the pre-UFC career, see the record breakdown below or the Tapology button up top.
Record breakdown
How the record was built.
Full pro career, from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Carla Esparza) — results only; UFC bouts carry full stats in the fight history above.
Wins by method
KO/TKO
4
Submission
4
Decision
11
Other
0
Losses by method
KO/TKO
2
Submission
2
Decision
4
Other
0
Fights by organization
UFC
16
Invicta FC
3
Bellator
2
XFC
1
ECSC
1
Crowbar MMA
1
NMEF Ladies Night
1
Long Beach Fight Night
1
+ 1 more organizations in the full career list
Full career — 27 fights, every organization
| Opponent | Method | Event | Org | Rd | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L | Tecia Pennington | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 307
2024-10-05 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Zhang Weili | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 281
2022-11-12 |
UFC | 2 | 1:05 |
| W | Rose Namajunas | Decision (split) | UFC 274
2022-05-07 |
UFC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Yan Xiaonan | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt
2021-05-22 |
UFC | 2 | 2:58 |
| W | Marina Rodriguez | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till
2020-07-26 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Michelle Waterson | Decision (split) | UFC 249
2020-05-09 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Alexa Grasso | Decision (majority) | UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens
2019-09-21 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Virna Jandiroba | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson
2019-04-27 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Tatiana Suarez | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC 228
2018-09-08 |
UFC | 3 | 4:33 |
| L | Cláudia Gadelha | Decision (split) | UFC 225
2018-06-09 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Cynthia Calvillo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 219
2017-12-30 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Maryna Moroz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee
2017-06-25 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Randa Markos | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne
2017-02-19 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Juliana Lima | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 197
2016-04-23 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | TKO (punches) | UFC 185
2015-03-14 |
UFC | 2 | 4:17 |
| W | Rose Namajunas | Submission (rear-naked choke) | The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale
2014-12-12 |
UFC | 3 | 1:26 |
| W | Bec Rawlings | Decision (unanimous) | Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt
2013-01-05 |
Invicta FC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Lynn Alvarez | TKO (punches) | Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama
2012-10-06 |
Invicta FC | 1 | 2:53 |
| W | Sarah Schneider | TKO (punches) | Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann
2012-07-28 |
Invicta FC | 2 | 4:28 |
| W | Felice Herrig | Decision (unanimous) | XFC 15: Tribute
2011-12-02 |
XFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Jessica Aguilar | Decision (split) | Bellator 46
2011-06-25 |
Bellator | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Yadira Anzaldua | Submission (rear-naked choke) | ECSC: Friday Night Fights 3
2011-04-15 |
ECSC | 1 | 0:53 |
| W | Nina Ansaroff | Decision (split) | Crowbar MMA: Winter Brawl
2010-12-10 |
Crowbar MMA | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Megumi Fujii | Submission (armbar) | Bellator 24
2010-08-12 |
Bellator | 2 | 0:57 |
| W | Lacey Schuckman | Submission (rear-naked choke) | NMEF Ladies Night: Clash of the Titans 8
2010-07-16 |
NMEF Ladies Night | 2 | 2:37 |
| W | Karina Hallinan | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Long Beach Fight Night 8
2010-04-18 |
Long Beach Fight Night | 2 | 2:16 |
| W | Cassie Trost | TKO (punches) | Respect in the Cage 3
2010-02-19 |
Respect in the Cage | 1 | 0:48 |
Career history from the fighter's Wikipedia record table (Carla Esparza) — results only, no strike stats; UFC bouts are marked and carry full stats in the fight history above.
Division context
Measured against the division.
Versus the Women's Strawweight average, over 57 qualified fighters (5+ UFC fights, 30+ minutes of cage time). Green = better than average, red = worse; the tick mark is the division mean. "Strikes absorbed" counts lower as better.