Ex-UFC Strawweight Queen Carla Esparza Says Being Champion 'Is a Mentality'

Carla Esparza is expected to make her final walk to the Octagon when she faces Tecia Pennington at UFC 307 on Saturday night.

No matter what the future might hold, Esparza will always carry a little piece of UFC history with her. That is because “Cookie Monster” became the promotion’s inaugural strawweight champion when she submitted Rose Namajunas in the third round of their bout at “The Ultimate Fighter 20” finale in December 2014. It’s something that Esparza won’t soon forget.

“To win that historical title, that first title in the strawweight division, was the best feeling of my life and probably still is to this point,” Esparza recently told UFC.com.

“The night that I became champion, the biggest memory that comes to mind is the finish and the 'Oh, my gosh, my hand is being raised,’ feeling. That moment of pure, almost disbelief and happiness, that was the best feeling. Walking out with the belt and then just seeing all my teammates and friends after. I got to fight alongside my teammates on The Ultimate Fighter, including one of my best friends, Felice Herrig.”

Heading into the bout, Namajunas had emerged as the favorite thanks to her exploits on “TUF 20,” where she submitted all three of her opponents prior to facing Esparza.

“My opponent had so much hype behind her, and I thought I wasn't going to be able to deal with her jiu-jitsu and it was going to be really scary,” Esparza said. “My coach even told me in between rounds, 'It's not as bad as you thought. It's not as scary as you thought. Just keep doing what you're doing on the ground like you got this.' I was really hard on myself going into it, but I was able to dominate.”

UFC 307: Pereira vs. Rountree Jr. Saturday at 10 ET on ESPN+. Order Now!

Esparza would relinquish the strap to Joanna Jedrzejczyk one fight later at UFC 185, but the Team Oyama representative would regain the crown by besting Namajunas in a rematch at UFC 274 in May 2022. Esparza credits her passion for the sport as the driving force behind her remaining a top contender at 115 pounds for as long as she has.

“This is a constantly evolving game and my love for being a student and learning new things and my passion for this sport has just kept the fire alive in me,” she said. “It helped propel me to just get better and better and be able to contend for this title again and win it eight years later.”

As Esparza prepares to enter retirement, she believes that winning a UFC belt — while a noteworthy accomplishment — doesn’t define her.

“Being a champion, to me, is not just about a belt around my waist, it's a mentality,” Esparza said. “I think that I've always been a champion, but I've just been waiting for that belt to come into my life. Being a champion is not just about a belt or a medal; it's so many other things. It's a mentality. It's the lifestyle, the way you carry yourself every day.”