Tomorrow night (Sat. September 8, 2018) two of the best wrestlers in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division will collide.
Former 115-pound champion Carla Esparza will meet undefeated Tatiana Suarez inside the Octagon. Esparza has won two of her last three fights. In her last outing, she was defeated by Claudia Gadelha via controversial split decision.
She’ll attempt to bounce back against an impressive prospect in Suarez. Suarez is undefeated in her mixed martial arts (MMA) career. The dominant grappler has finished four of her six career fights.
Esparza told MMA Junkie that she refused to allow the “female Khabib” to take her spot:
“As for her being an up-and-comer, I mean she’s been dominating everyone,” Esparza said. “I know she’s hungry. She’s young, she’s looking to drive up to the top. She’s been moving pretty fast, so it’s my job to stop that.
“I don’t care if you’re old, you’re young, you’re black, you’re white, you’re freaking an alien – if you’re trying to take my spot, I can’t let that happen.
“I definitely think I gain something out of this win,” Esparza said. “Maybe people might not know everything about her, but there’s been talks.
“It’s like, ‘Oh, who is this new up-and-comer, what’s going on with her? She’s the female Khabib (Nurmagomedov). She’s this, she’s that.’ I think people might not know so much, but they know that there’s hype behind her, for sure.”
Discussion: What do you make of Esparza comparing Suarez to Khabib Nurmagomedov? Let us know in the comments section below!
