The UFC strawweight champion, Carla Esparza, is set to make her first title defense this weekend at UFC 281. She faces a formidable opponent in Zhang Weili, who recently ground out a tough decision victory over major favorite Mackenzie Dern. Esparza told MMAFighting that she is well aware that she’s not expected to leave the Octagon with the belt, but laughed off the doubters. She’s happy to do her talking in the cage.
“It is funny. Before, I would say early in my career it would kind of bum me out like ‘hey, I’m a good fighter!’ But now it just makes me smile and laugh. Like I know that I have a little secret but people [say] this is going to happen or that is going to happen and I’m just like OK but deep down I have my secret like you’ll see.
Esparza Laughs Off the Doubters Ahead of Zhang Weili Fight
But I don’t need to talk about it. That’s been the style of my coach and my team since I’ve been there. Do your talking in the cage. I don’t need to tell you what I’m going to do. I’m going to show you.” Esparza continued, pointing out how much work has gone into improving and perfecting her game.
“I have done my studying and I have seen holes and things I can take advantage of. But at the end of the day, at this level and being a former champ, everyone’s going to be really good. I think it’s because she’s so dangerous and she comes out really strong that she has had these explosive first-round finishes. I’m definitely not looking past how dangerous she is and her knockout power and how strong she is because I think that’s obvious to see.
But I’m pretty strong myself or else I wouldn’t be here at this point. I go into every fight that the possibility [is there], it’s a dangerous sport. It’s the hurt business. I go in there and prepare the best I can and let the cards fall where they may.”
A particular strength of Esparza’s – and a notable weakness of Zhang Weili’s – is wrestling, particularly takedowns. Although Weili displayed improved takedown and submission defense against Mackenzie Dern, Carla Esparza’s chain wrestling is a different beast entirely.
“I don’t think in my career there’s been anybody that I can recall or hardly anybody I haven’t been able to take down. Even in my losses, I’ve had some takedowns. I feel confident in my wrestling.
I don’t think Weili has ever fought anyone like me. She’s never had this type of fight and I think she’s even said that in interviews. We’ll see how she reacts because I’ve never seen her go against someone like me so I don’t know how good she is there. It’s not easy fighting someone completely different than you have seen before.”
Who will be the strawweight champ at the end of UFC 281? Let us know in the comments.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPABCfEoe1Q
