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Carla Esparza is currently on a five-fight winning streak and is ranked number two in the UFC's strawweight division. However, life hasn't been a piece of cake for the 'Cookie Monster' despite being an elite UFC fighter.
Esparza recently posted an emotional message after successfully paying off her debt. The 34-year-old also claimed that she has always tried to live below her means due to the unpredictibilty of a fighter's career. Celebrating with a cookie cake, Esparza wrote on Instagram:
"100% officially #debtfree. Many years of sacrificing, saving, and shopping the sales has paid off lol. Being a fighter/athlete is super amazing, but also unpredictable. With injuries that could put you out for years, unpredictable post fight career, and just the ups and downs of competing, I always tried to live below my means. It was always my dream to pay off my home so that no matter what happened, I would have a roof over my head. Still a lot of saving for the future to be done, but for now, I’ll celebrate by eating this cookie cake."
Esparza walked home with an extra $50,000 in two instances during her recent five-fight win streak. Esparza won a Fight of the Night bonus for her majority decision victory against Alexa Grasso in September 2019. More recently, Esparza won a Performance of the Night bonus for her first round stoppage win over Yan Xiaonan.
Carla Esparza is next in line for a title shot
Carla Esparza became the inaugural strawweight champion after defeating Rose Namajunas in the TUF 20 finale. Esparza lost her strap in her first title defense against Joanna Jedrzejczyk at UFC 185 back in 2015.
Carla Esparza went on to lose three of her next six fights before managing to rack up five victories in a row since 2019. Following her most recent win over Yan Xiaonan, the 34-year-old hinted that she would be willing to wait for a title shot. Esparza said in her post-fight interview:
"I am so stoked. I’ve been working so hard on my wrestling this camp. I’ve been working to secure those finishes. It’s a lot easier to fight someone who wants to fight. I want a chance to fight for that title. I think that’s a fight everyone wants to see. Come on, Dana [White] let’s make it happen."
The idea initially didn't seem very appealing to UFC president Dana White, and Zhang Weili was given a rematch against the champion Rose Namajunas. However, White seems to have changed his mind and recently confirmed that Esparza is next in line for a title shot. Asked about the strawweight title picture, White told ESPN's Brett Okamoto:
"Carla Esparza [will get the next title shot]. 100%."
Watch Dana White's interview with Brett Okamoto below:
