Bio

Carla Kristen Esparza (born October 10, 1987) is an American professional mixed martial artist who competes in the Strawweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), in which she is a former two-time UFC Women's Strawweight Champion. Esparza was the first UFC Strawweight Champion, the first Invicta FC Strawweight Champion, and was generally considered the best Strawweight fighter in the world during both initial title reigns. She first earned the UFC championship by winning a 16-woman tournament that was televised on the reality series The Ultimate Fighter. She also competed in Bellator MMA's first women's tournament. As of November 15, 2022, she is #1 in the UFC women's strawweight rankings, and as of March 7, 2023, she is ranked #7 in the UFC women's pound-for-pound rankings. Esparza is of Mexican, Ecuadorian and Irish descent. She married her husband Matthew Lomeli in May 2022. In March 2023, Esparza announced she was pregnant with the couple's first child.