UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza set to take on Zhang Weili at UFC 281 in NYC

Newly crowned UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza is set to make her first defense of her title when she comes up against the heavy-hitting Zhang Weili at UFC 281 later this year.

In a post uploaded to her Instagram page, Carla Esparza revealed that her next opponent would be none other than the dangerous former champion, with the fight scheduled to take place at UFC 281 in Madison Square Garden on November 12.

The fighter of Mexican and Ecuadorian descent was named the inaugural UFC women's strawweight champion back in 2014 when she earned a submission victory over Rose Namajunas. However, she would lose it shortly after while attempting her first defense.

'Cookie Monster' recently reclaimed her belt with a split decision victory after a lackluster showing against Rose Namajunas at UFC 274 earlier this year. Despite being doubted by many, the 34-year-old proved she can hang with the young killers in the division and is currently riding a six-fight win streak inside the octagon.

She will put her title and the best win-streak of her career on the line when she collides with the Chinese powerhouse, Zhang Weili. Although not confirmed, the bout will likely be the co-headliner of UFC 281, behind the much-anticipated brawl between middleweight king Israel Adesanya and long-term rival Alex Pereira.

The November 12 card will see British fan favorite Molly McCann test herself against rising prospect Erin Blanchfield. Additionally, Dominick Reyes will make his long-awaited return to the light heavyweight division against Ryan Spann.

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Does Zhang Weili deserve the fight against Carla Esparza?

After competing in arguably the worst ever title match in the history of the UFC, Dana White openly stated that the company would likely not give Rose Namajunas a chance to instantly reclaim the championship she just lost.

Despite being 1-2 in her last three outings, Zhang Weili came close to beating Namajunas in their rematch. Her last outing saw 'Magnum' score a potential knockout of the year with a thunderous spinning backfist against the legendary Joanna Jedrzejczyk. This immediately thrust the former champion into title contention.

Before her two losses to Rose, the 115lb fighter was an unstoppable force, winning 21 straight fights in the sport. She will look to get back to her best by overwhelming Esparza and recapturing her title.