Women's Strawweight · “Cookie Monster”
Carla Esparza
19-8-0 UFC 10-6-0
Chain Wrestling
Wrestler
5'1"Height
63"Reach
OrthodoxStance
39Age
1KO wins
1Sub wins
20.0%Finish rate
14:01Avg fight
Skill profile
striking
decent
1 read
grappling
not yet read
wrestling
great
1 read
cardio
not yet read
durability
not yet read
Chain Wrestling
49 takedowns from 135 attempts · 3.3 landed per 15 min
Wrestler
elite wrestling — rates 96 of 100 among UFC veterans
Career rates — the raw numbers behind the chart
Sig. strikes landed / min2.19
Sig. strikes absorbed / min2.87
Striking accuracy39.5%
Striking defense54.4%
Knockdowns / 15 min0.0
Takedowns / 15 min3.28
Takedown accuracy36.3%
Takedown defense47.2%
Sub attempts / 15 min0.27
Control time28.3%
Record vs .500+ opponents8-5
Insider info
Zhang Weili favored — picked against Carla Esparza clear UFC 281 · November 8, 2022
strikingdecent
wrestlinggreat
The pick is stated flatly and comfortably, with the analyst saying he expects Zhang to be tough to unseat once she's champion.
Esparza's case rests on a wrestling base that's frequently underrated because her overall skill set looks unremarkable on paper. She's capable of controlling rounds against powerful strikers by getting fights to the mat and grinding out control time, and her own striking has quietly improved over her career even if it isn't her calling card. The path to victory is straightforward — get the fight down and control it there — but it requires actually landing takedowns against an opponent who is dangerous in that phase too.
Strengthhigh-level wrestling
Strengthcontrol-based grinding
Strengthimproving striking
Strengthhistory of winning rounds against strikers
Weaknessstriking still a tier below elite strikers
Weaknessvulnerable if takedowns don't land
Striking trend
Fight history
L Tecia Pennington 13-7 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. · October 5, 2024
39/123Sig. strikes
80/150Absorbed
4/7Takedowns
3:40Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Zhang Weili 22-3 walk-in TITLE Submission · R2 1:05 — UFC 281: Adesanya vs. Pereira · November 12, 2022
6/32Sig. strikes
37/78Absorbed
1/4Takedowns
0:55Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Rose Namajunas 11-4 walk-in TITLE Decision - Split · R5 5:00 — UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje · May 7, 2022
30/133Sig. strikes
37/136Absorbed
2/11Takedowns
0:22Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Yan Xiaonan 16-1 walk-in KO/TKO · R2 2:58 — UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt · May 22, 2021
27/33Sig. strikes
5/11Absorbed
3/3Takedowns
7:18Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Marina Rodriguez 12-0-2 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Whittaker vs. Till · July 25, 2020
33/60Sig. strikes
40/76Absorbed
5/9Takedowns
8:54Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Michelle Waterson-Gomez 17-7 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje · May 9, 2020
45/103Sig. strikes
44/98Absorbed
1/10Takedowns
0:46Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Alexa Grasso 10-2 walk-in Decision - Majority · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs. Stephens · September 21, 2019
44/80Sig. strikes
45/103Absorbed
4/11Takedowns
7:12Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Virna Jandiroba 14-0 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Jacare vs. Hermansson · April 27, 2019
25/51Sig. strikes
17/37Absorbed
4/10Takedowns
5:25Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Tatiana Suarez 6-0 walk-in KO/TKO · R3 4:33 — UFC 228: Woodley vs. Till · September 8, 2018
6/10Sig. strikes
82/98Absorbed
0/2Takedowns
0:04Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Claudia Gadelha 15-3 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC 225: Whittaker vs. Romero 2 · June 9, 2018
43/103Sig. strikes
26/64Absorbed
2/4Takedowns
3:36Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Cynthia Calvillo 6-0 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 219: Cyborg vs. Holm · December 30, 2017
48/138Sig. strikes
38/112Absorbed
2/9Takedowns
0:22Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Maryna Moroz 8-1 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee · June 25, 2017
40/95Sig. strikes
38/119Absorbed
6/14Takedowns
6:22Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Randa Markos 6-4 walk-in Decision - Split · R3 5:00 — UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne · February 19, 2017
32/132Sig. strikes
48/110Absorbed
4/10Takedowns
2:45Control
0Knockdowns
1Sub attempts
W Juliana Lima 8-2 walk-in Decision - Unanimous · R3 5:00 — UFC 197: Jones vs Saint Preux · April 23, 2016
28/42Sig. strikes
26/43Absorbed
5/7Takedowns
9:35Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
L Joanna Jedrzejczyk 8-0 walk-in TITLE KO/TKO · R2 4:17 — UFC 185: Pettis vs Dos Anjos · March 14, 2015
4/22Sig. strikes
53/105Absorbed
1/17Takedowns
1:09Control
0Knockdowns
0Sub attempts
W Rose Namajunas 2-1 walk-in TITLE Submission · R3 1:26 — The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale · December 12, 2014
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
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
October 5, 2024 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Zhang Weili | Submission (rear-naked choke) | UFC 281
November 12, 2022 |
UFC | 2 | 1:05 |
| W | Rose Namajunas | Decision (split) | UFC 274
May 7, 2022 |
UFC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Yan Xiaonan | TKO (punches) | UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt
May 22, 2021 |
UFC | 2 | 2:58 |
| W | Marina Rodriguez | Decision (split) | UFC on ESPN: Whittaker vs. Till
July 26, 2020 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Michelle Waterson | Decision (split) | UFC 249
May 9, 2020 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Alexa Grasso | Decision (majority) | UFC Fight Night: Rodríguez vs. Stephens
September 21, 2019 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Virna Jandiroba | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Jacaré vs. Hermansson
April 27, 2019 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Tatiana Suarez | TKO (punches and elbows) | UFC 228
September 8, 2018 |
UFC | 3 | 4:33 |
| L | Cláudia Gadelha | Decision (split) | UFC 225
June 9, 2018 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Cynthia Calvillo | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 219
December 30, 2017 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Maryna Moroz | Decision (unanimous) | UFC Fight Night: Chiesa vs. Lee
June 25, 2017 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Randa Markos | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Browne
February 19, 2017 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Juliana Lima | Decision (unanimous) | UFC 197
April 23, 2016 |
UFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Joanna Jędrzejczyk | TKO (punches) | UFC 185
March 14, 2015 |
UFC | 2 | 4:17 |
| W | Rose Namajunas | Submission (rear-naked choke) | The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned Finale
December 12, 2014 |
UFC | 3 | 1:26 |
| W | Bec Rawlings | Decision (unanimous) | Invicta FC 4: Esparza vs. Hyatt
January 5, 2013 |
Invicta FC | 5 | 5:00 |
| W | Lynn Alvarez | TKO (punches) | Invicta FC 3: Penne vs. Sugiyama
October 6, 2012 |
Invicta FC | 1 | 2:53 |
| W | Sarah Schneider | TKO (punches) | Invicta FC 2: Baszler vs. McMann
July 28, 2012 |
Invicta FC | 2 | 4:28 |
| W | Felice Herrig | Decision (unanimous) | XFC 15: Tribute
December 2, 2011 |
XFC | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Jessica Aguilar | Decision (split) | Bellator 46
June 25, 2011 |
Bellator | 3 | 5:00 |
| W | Yadira Anzaldua | Submission (rear-naked choke) | ECSC: Friday Night Fights 3
April 15, 2011 |
ECSC | 1 | 0:53 |
| W | Nina Ansaroff | Decision (split) | Crowbar MMA: Winter Brawl
December 10, 2010 |
Crowbar MMA | 3 | 5:00 |
| L | Megumi Fujii | Submission (armbar) | Bellator 24
August 12, 2010 |
Bellator | 2 | 0:57 |
| W | Lacey Schuckman | Submission (rear-naked choke) | NMEF Ladies Night: Clash of the Titans 8
July 16, 2010 |
NMEF Ladies Night | 2 | 2:37 |
| W | Karina Hallinan | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Long Beach Fight Night 8
April 18, 2010 |
Long Beach Fight Night | 2 | 2:16 |
| W | Cassie Trost | TKO (punches) | Respect in the Cage 3
February 19, 2010 |
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.