Carla Esparza says she has come to phrases along with her loss to Zhang Weili.
Within the first protection of her second reign as UFC strawweight champion, Esparza misplaced to Weili by second-round rear-naked choke at UFC 281. Following her loss, the ‘Cookie Monster’ stated she had ‘no regrets’ over her efficiency, and she or he advised Mike Bohn of MMA Junkie that she nonetheless has none.
“Truthfully, I’m at peace with it,” stated Esparza on the World MMA Awards. “I believe after combating for thus lengthy, you simply understand it’s part of the sport — wins and losses. I’ve been doing this for 13-plus years, so on the finish of the day, I’m actually proud of what I’ve completed up till this level, and I be ok with it. I’m in a very good place.”
Esparza discovered herself in an analogous state of affairs to that of the primary protection of her first reign. A number of months after profitable the inaugural UFC strawweight championship, the Crew Oyama product misplaced it to Joanna Jędrzejczyk at UFC 185. She would go on to alternate between wins and losses earlier than Esparza hit her stride.
With six consecutive wins, Esparza earned a championship alternative towards Rose Namajunas, who she dethroned at UFC 274 this previous Might. As a result of she has climbed the proverbial ladder earlier than, the 35-year-old is assured she will do it once more.
“I simply need to take it day-by-day, fight-by-fight,” stated Esparza. “Within the subsequent couple of years, positively having a household is admittedly vital to me. I believe I’m nonetheless within the talks, I’m clearly nonetheless within the prime 5, so I don’t suppose making my method again is simply too far out of that realm, however I’m simply form of taking it fight-by-fight.
“We’ll see,” continued Esparza. “I’m not executed within the battle recreation, I nonetheless have enterprise to do. We’ll see what step I take subsequent.”
There isn’t any phrase on when Esparza expects to return to the Octagon.
