Claudia Gadelha Tells Carla Esparza to ‘Stop with the F—-ing Excuses’

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Claudia Gadelha has some unfinished business with former UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza.

Moments after emerging with a split-decision triumph over Angela Hill in the UFC on ESPN 8 co-main event on Saturday night, Gadelha called for a rematch with the fighter known as “Cookie Monster.”

“Hey Carla Esparza, let’s do it again,” the Brazilian told UFC commentator Paul Felder in the Octagon.

Gadelha defeated Esparza via split verdict at UFC 225 in June 2018, and while that victory was generally less disputed than Saturday’s win over Hill, Esparza has long contended that her opponent was greasing that night. She reiterated that sentiment in a social media post following Gadelha’s callout.

“Let’s run it back!! Leave the grease at home this time,” Esparza wrote.

Let’s run it back!! Leave the grease at home this time @ClaudiaGadelha_

— Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1) May 17, 2020

An exasperated Gadelha could only shake her head at Esparza’s accusation during the UFC on ESPN 8 post-fight press conference.

“This is 2020, you know? The sport is evolving so much,” Gadelha said. “Come on. I have the commission following me from the time I step in the Octagon to the time the fight is finished. How the f—k am I gonna grease? Carla Esparza, stop with the f—ing excuses and let’s get back in there again.”

Esparza also took part in the promotion’s three-event extravaganza in Jacksonville, Florida, as she took a split decision of her own against Michelle Waterson at UFC 249 on May 9. Gadelha gave her rival some leeway due to uncertain training circumstance cause by the coronavirus pandemic, but she clearly wasn’t impressed with the performance.

“Right now, I wouldn’t say much because everybody’s going through crazy times and it’s tough to train. It’s tough to do anything,” Gadelha said. “I don’t know how the camp was. Not a lot of things happened in that fight, so I can’t say much.”

As for her own efforts against Hill, Gadelha was pleased with being able to stand and trade for the majority of the fight with an opponent of that caliber. The Brazilian veteran was at her best in Round 1, when she attacked with power punches, forced the clinch and ultimately took Hill down to the canvas. “Overkill” was able to increase her volume over the bout’s final 10 minutes, but Gadelha still managed to land some solid shots during that stretch.

“I feel like I need those type of fights,” Gadelha said. “Of course you grow from sparring, you grow from training, from drilling. But those fights are what makes you grow. I stood up with a great striker for three rounds. The second round didn’t go very good, but the first and third went very well. And this is what’s gonna make me grow. This is what’s gonna make me better. I’m more confident to step in there and do anything.”

Hill has been one of the promotion’s most active fighters recently, as Saturday marked her third Octagon appearance within a five-month span. After a rough start to her UFC tenure, Hill seemed to be hitting her stride and entered the matchup having won four of her last five promotional appearances.

“I think she should be ranked,” Gadelha said. “I think she’s Top 10 strawweight. She had her ups and downs, but she got so much better lately. I don’t know what she’s doing, but she got so much better and I knew that.”

At the end of the evening, Gadelha had to take a step back to marvel at the entire situation. Fighting is tough enough on its own. To do so in an empty arena during a global pandemic is a different challenge entirely.

“We’re going through some crazy times right now,” she said. “And to be able to train in a garage, go through a fight camp, lose 15 pounds and come here and fight a good striker, stand up with her the whole fight, it’s pretty crazy.”