“I think it really solidified me as the No. 1 contender” Carla Esparza flaunts her confidence as she is ready to fight for the title next

An American professional mixed martial artist and the first UFC Strawweight champion along with the first Invicta FC Strawweight Champion, Carla Esparza (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) wants to come into the limelight and believes that she is the first contender in her division and the most worthy fighter to win the next championship.

The Brazilian mixed martial artist and the current women strawweight division contender, Marina Rodriguez recently registered a phenomenal win against Mackenzie Dern. Rodriguez defeated Dern via unanimous decision in Round 5 at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 194 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Rodriguez has now won three consecutive victories since the decision to loss to Esparza in 2020.

Esparza told MMA Junkie “I think there were talks of McKenzie being in there (title picture), especially with a similar win record, I could see an argument for that and she’s got a lot of hype behind her too and she’s a really great fighter. She had explosive finishes on the ground, so I could’ve definitely seen an argument for that.

“But with Marina having a win over her and myself having a win over Marina, and being her only loss, I think it really solidified me as the No. 1 contender.” {h/t MMA Junkie}

“I’ve been fighting for seven years to get back to this point” Carla Esparza will give her blood, sweat, and tears to win the title

Carla Esparza is unbeatable since 2019 and her last fight was in Las Vegas, Nevada on May 22, 2021, where she defeated Yan Xiaonan in a dominant Round 2 TKO. She has five consecutive victories and she is not going to stop ever since. The work done by Esparza (18-6 MMA, 9-4 UFC) over the past two years has ensured her position in the women’s strawweight category, but recent results have consolidated her position in her heart.

“I’m going to know a lot after the fight on Nov. 6,” Esparza said. “I think whatever happens after that fight is going to be very telling on what happens with my future and my next fight.

“Of course I want the title fight. I’ve been fighting for seven years to get back to this point, but I also want to stay active and fight because that’s what I like to do, so hopefully, it goes in a way that makes sense for the UFC to give me the next fight.

Esparza concluded, “I’m humbled and appreciative for all the support that I’ve gotten when the announcement was made for Weili to get the rematch. A lot of people were vocal saying I deserved it, but at the end of the day, the UFC is going to make their decisions. I’m just going to sit and wait and hopefully I get that opportunity next.”

Also Read: “Carla was the one that should have been getting the title fight,” Marina Rodriguez is ready to let Esparza get the next title shot after UFC Vegas 39 win.