Looking Back on “Cookie Monster’s” Career

At UFC 307, Carla Esparza concluded her more than 14-year professional mixed martial arts career. As she makes her exit from the sport, “Cookie Monster” will be remembered as one of the most credentialed strawweight competitors to ever grace the world-famous Octagon. Throughout her time as an elite of the division, the Californian had laid claim to several notable accolades like the Invicta FC Strawweight Championship, The Ultimate Fighter 20 title, and the UFC Strawweight Championship twice. 

With her strong collegiate wrestling background and her dangerous ground game, Esparza proved to be a difficult matchup for most of the competition that she went up against. This strong grappling style allowed her to stand against a litany of top-level opposition across her nearly 30 fight career such as Virna Jandiroba, Marina Rodriguez, Alexa Grasso, and Rose Namajunas. 

Esparza: The Early Days

Starting her journey in MMA on February 19, 2010, Esparza won her first bout in just 48 seconds when she knocked out Cassie Trost at Respect in the Cage 3. She then went on to compete four more times that same year, picking up three more victories but also suffering her first defeat by second round submission to Women’s mixed martial arts pioneer Megumi Fujii.

After going 1-1 in her next two contests, Esparza took her first steps towards greatness by winning her next four fights in a row. This run saw her capture the inaugural Invicta FC Strawweight strap with wins over Sarah Schneider, Lynn Alvarez, and Bec Rawlings. 

TUF Comes Calling

Following this, Esparza was cast to join The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned, otherwise known as The Ultimate Fighter 20. Fighting alongside 15 of the other best 115 pound names on the planet, the winner of the season would not only earn a UFC contract, but also be crowned as the company’s first strawweight champion.

Blitzing through the tournament with the utmost domination, the first-seeded Esparza breezed past her first three opponents in Angela Hill, Tecia Pennington, and Jessica Penne to reach the finale. There, she battled Midwestern submission ace Namajunas, who Esparza choked out in the third round of their championship bout to earn the inaugural UFC Strawweight title and the Ultimate Fighter trophy as well.  

Esparza Loses Belt

At this point in time, Esparza was on fire, and going into her first title defense at UFC 185 in 2015, many expected another dominant performance from the former NAIA wrestling prodigy. That, unfortunately, wouldn’t be the case, as “Cookie Monster” wound up dropping the strap to the undefeated Joanna Jędrzejczyk, losing the fight by TKO in the second round to the Polish powerhouse.

Another Shot at Gold

For the next several years, Esparza encountered a lengthy string of inconsistent results, going 3-3 in her next six bouts. Her time in the upper echelon of the division appeared to be fading, but after a 2019 victory over Virna Jandiroba, though, the former champion seemed to have begun to hit her stride again. Winning her next four fights, Esparza blasted through the rankings in a career resurgence collecting impressive victories against Alexa Grasso, Marina Rodriguez, and Yan Xiaonan. This streak catapulted “Cookie Monster” back near the top of the strawweight elite, netting her the opportunity to contend for the championship in a rematch with Namajunas in 2022. 

Turning back the clock at UFC 274, the pair faced off in what was billed as an exciting rematch between two titans of the division. This turned out to be wishful thinking, however, as the fight played out as a complete and utter dud. Landing a combined 68 total strikes between them, both women looked oddly gun shy throughout the contest. While both competitor’s performances left much to be desired, Esparza ultimately got her hand raised in the end by split decision to regain her throne as the UFC Strawweight Champion. 

It took her over seven years to do it, but “Cookie Monster” had at last made it back to the top of the pecking order at 115 lbs. She wouldn’t hold the top spot for very long, though, because at UFC 281, she dropped the strap to another former champion in Zhang Weili, who dominated Esparza en route to finishing her in round two with a rear naked choke. 

Taking A Pause and A Retirement Bout Against a Familiar Foe

Following the loss of her title, Esparza decided to take some time off from the sport to focus on starting a family, giving birth to her son almost a year later. It wasn’t until nearly two years later that she publicly announced that she was going to end her break from competition at UFC 307 to take on previous opponent Tecia Pennington. The announcement also came with the shocking news that the fight would be her last as a professional mixed martial artist.

*RETIREMENT FIGHT ANNOUNCEMENT*
I will be stepping into The UFC Octagon on Saturday, October 5th for the final time. After almost 15 years as a professional, fighting the best of the best, I feel it’s time to hang up my gloves. #UFC307 pic.twitter.com/NUZwPcOqxx

— Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1) August 2, 2024

Sharing the cage once more since their meeting on The Ultimate Fighter a decade ago, Esparza found herself in trouble early on in the bout when Pennington landed some hard strikes that left “Cookie Monster” stunned. Being put into survival mode, the two-time strawweight champion proceeded to take down “The Tiny Tornado” and finish the first round on top while raining down punches. The next 10 minutes ended up being just as competitive, with Pennington giving Esparza significant trouble on the feet, but the Californian also had her moments with her hands and her grappling. The contest was a close one, but it was Pennington who got the judges nod via split decision to exact her revenge over Esparza.

Final Thoughts

She didn’t get to ride off into the sunset off a hard-earned win, but win or lose Carla Esparza had already cemented herself as one of the greatest female fighters of all time. Although she wasn’t able to stay champion for long across her two reigns, her runs of domination leading up to her acquiring the belts saw her defeat the best strawweights from multiple generations. Laying down her gloves in the Octagon and putting her career to bed, Esparza will be remembered as an integral part of the legacy of the 115-lb.  division.