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Carla Esparza recently opened up about her upcoming retirement and reaffirmed her decision to hang up the gloves following UFC 307 this Saturday. She added that the outcome won't impact her decision, and that UFC 307 will mark the end of her career.
The former strawweight champion will be competing for the first time since UFC 281 in 2022, where she lost her championship to Zhang Weili. She announced her pregnancy with her first child in the months that followed, resulting in her stepping away from active competition. This past August, 'Cookie Monster' officially announced that her return bout against Tecia Pennington at UFC 307 will also be her retirement bout.
While speaking to MMA Junkie's Mike Bohn, the former strawweight champion confirmed that she won't be experiencing a change of heart should she defeat Pennington in spectacular fashion. Esparza mentioned that she is thinking about her long-term health and wants to be a full time mom to her son:
"[A great performance would] be a great way to go out...I'd love to get a performance bonus for [my son's] scholarship fund. No matter how the fight goes, it doesn't change the outcome of me being ready to move on from fighting. I still love [competing] but it's time. It's time for me to be a mom...[My body] has had a lot of wear and tear over the years. I'm ready [to retire], I don't want to leave this sport in a wheelchair or in a walker."
Check out Carla Esparza's comments below:
How many stints did Carla Esparza have as UFC strawweight champion?
Carla Esparza will retire following a successful MMA career that includes two reigns as UFC strawweight champion.
Esparza was the inaugural strawweight champion after winning season 20 of 'The Ultimate Fighter,' which saw the promotion introduce the 115-pound division. She then set a promotional record for longest time between title reigns after regaining the championship at UFC 274 in 2022, which was 2612 days after her previous reign.
Check out the UFC's tweet regarding Carla Esparza's second strawweight championship win below:
