Carla Esparza Announces Pregnancy, Targets UFC Return in 2024
Former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza will be taking some time away to start a family.
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“So we’ve been keeping a secret the last 14 weeks… we’re expecting!” Esparza wrote. “Baby Cookie Monster grand entrance September 2023.
“Excited for this next chapter and hoping to make my return early to mid 2024.”
Esparza is a two-time UFC title holder. She became the promotion’s inaugural strawweight queen with a submission win over Rose Namajunas at “The Ultimate Fighter 20” finale in December 2014 before dropping the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in her next outing at UFC 185. The Team Oyama product recaptured the crown with a split-decision triumph against Namajunas at UFC 274, but lost the title to Weili Zhang via second-round submission in her most recent promotional appearance at UFC 281 this past November.
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