Fighter Profile›Women's Strawweight

“Cookie Monster”

Carla Esparza

20-816 UFC

Wrestler

Form

· 2L

Layoff Risk

3× Title

4× 5R

Output Builds Late

High Wear

5'1"ht·63"reach·Orthodoxstance·38age

Last fightLTecia Pennington·U-DEC·R3·1.6yr ago

Fighter Context

10–6UFC·

1KO

1Sub

8Dec

14.0min/fight

224UFC min

vs. Winning-Record Opps

8–5(13 fights)

13%finish rate

-1.1str diff/min

CQ Key Stats

Striking Differential

-0.68

Deficit

28%ile

Significant strikes landed per minute minus strikes absorbed per minute. Positive values indicate a net striking advantage.

Adj. TD Threat

0.404

Strong

88%ile

CageQuant derived signal for measuring takedown offense adjusted for average division opponents.

Durability

Durable

32%ile

CageQuant derived signal that measures how well a fighter holds up to damage. Based on stoppage history and knockdowns absorbed over their career.

Round Win Rate

59%

Strong

67%ile

CageQuant derived signal. Completed rounds won, scored by CageQuant's proprietary formula rather than official judging.

Striking

Esparza

Ground & Pound

Head Hunter

W. Strawweight avg

Sig. Strikes / Min2.19

Str. Accuracy39%

492UFC landed/1,247attempted

Sig. Absorbed / min

−0.8 vs avg2.87

Str. Defense54%

KD Rate / fight0.00

KD Absorbed / fightNone on record

Strike Distribution

By Target

Head

74%

Body

14%

Leg

12%

By Position

Distance57%

Clinch13%

Ground30%

Sig. Strikes by Round

	Round 116 rounds	Round 216 rounds	Round 313 rounds	Round 41 round	Round 51 round
Avg. Landed	9	11	13	8	5
Avg. Absorbed	15	13	14	6	13
Avg. Net	-7	-2	-1	+2	-8

Grappling

Esparza

G&P Threat

·238s ctrlElite Control

W. Strawweight avg

Offense

TD Landed / 15 Min3.28

TD Attempts / 15 MinUFC ONLY9.03

TD Accuracy36%

49UFC landed/135attempted

Sub Attempts / 15 Min0.30

1UFC wins/4attempted

Defense

TD Defense47%

17UFC defended/36opp. attempts

Sub Defense

Rarely Tapped

Finishing

Finish Rate

20%

Decision Fighter

div avg 33%

How They Lose

6UFC losses

Win Breakdown

KO / TKO1 / 10

Submission1 / 10

Decision8 / 10

Loss Breakdown

KO / TKO2 / 6

Submission1 / 6

Decision3 / 6

Loss Pattern

Mixed

2 early · 1 late · 3 dec across 6 losses

Finish Round Distribution

KO/TKO W

KO/TKO L

SUB W

SUB L

Cards & Decisions

Recovery Rate

75%

6 of 8 rounds won following a lost round

Decision Margin

1.3pts

W8 dec

—

L1 dec

field avg 1.95 pts

Decision Types

5UD

5SD

1MD

45%split rate

Career Trajectory

Win

Loss

D/NC

Elite opp (15+ wins)

Veteran opp (8+ wins)

Layoff

sig. strikes stable across career. Second-half avg 31 vs 30 first half

16 UFC fights · hover for details · colored line = 3-fight rolling avg

Pace & Cardio

Output Builds Late

Output

Absorbed

Diff

R1n=16

R2n=16

R3n=13

Outputsig strikes / min

1.7

2.3

2.8

Absorbedsig strikes / min

3.0

2.7

3.0

Diff

-1.3

-0.4

-0.2

Per-round averages across career · partial final rounds included at actual elapsed time · rounds below 5 min. career total suppressed · dashed lines = division avg · switch to 5R for championship rounds

Last 8 Fights — Trend

▼Str. Diff-0.48 idxL3

Last 8 UFC fights · Absorbed & Strike Diff = index vs career avg (1.0 = avg, 0 = breakeven) · Orange dots = KDs absorbed

Elite oppVeteran opp

Esparza — 16 UFC Fights

Result

Method

16 fights

Tecia PenningtonVeteran

U-DEC R3Oct '24

-41

·39 SS (32%)·80 abs·4/7 td·220s ctrl

↵ 23mo layoff

Zhang Weili

TITLE

SUB R2 · 1:05Nov '22

-31

·6 SS (19%)·37 abs·1/4 td·55s ctrl

Rose NamajunasVeteran

TITLE

S-DEC R5May '22

-7

·30 SS (23%)·37 abs·2/11 td·1 td taken·22s ctrl

Yan Xiaonan

KO/TKO R2 · 2:58May '21

+22

·27 SS (82%)·5 abs·3/3 td·438s ctrl

Marina Rodriguez

S-DEC R3Jul '20

-7

·33 SS (55%)·40 abs·5/9 td·534s ctrl·1 sub att

Michelle Waterson-Gomez

S-DEC R3May '20

·45 SS (44%)·44 abs·1/10 td·46s ctrl

Alexa Grasso

M-DEC R3Sep '19

-1

·44 SS (55%)·45 abs·4/11 td·432s ctrl

Virna Jandiroba

U-DEC R3Apr '19

·25 SS (49%)·17 abs·4/10 td·3 td taken·325s ctrl

Tatiana Suarez

KO/TKO R3 · 4:33Sep '18

-76

·6 SS (60%)·82 abs·0/2 td·9 td taken

Claudia Gadelha

S-DEC R3Jun '18

+17

·43 SS (42%)·26 abs·2/4 td·4 td taken·216s ctrl

All Fighters

Women's Strawweight

“Cookie Monster”

Carla Esparza

20-816 UFC

Form

5'1"ht·63"reach·Orthodoxstance·38age

Last fightLTecia Pennington·U-DEC·1.6yr ago

Fighter Context

10–6UFC·

1KO

1Sub

8Dec

14.0min/fight

224UFC min

vs. Winning Record8–5

CQ Key Stats

Str. Differential

-0.68

28%ile

Significant strikes landed per minute minus strikes absorbed per minute. Positive values indicate a net striking advantage.

Adj. TD Threat

0.404

88%ile

CageQuant derived signal for measuring takedown offense adjusted for average division opponents.

Durability

32%ile

CageQuant derived signal that measures how well a fighter holds up to damage. Based on stoppage history and knockdowns absorbed over their career.

Round Win Rate

59%

67%ile

CageQuant derived signal. Completed rounds won, scored by CageQuant's proprietary formula rather than official judging.

Striking

Esparza

W. Strawweight avg

Ground & PoundHead Hunter

Sig. Strikes / Min2.19

Str. Accuracy39%

492UFC landed/1,247attempted

Sig. Absorbed / Min

−0.8 vs avg2.87

Str. Defense54%

KD Rate / Fight0.00

KD Absorbed / FightNone on record

Strike Distribution

By Target

Head

74%

Body

14%

Leg

12%

By Position

Dist57%

Clinch13%

Ground30%

Sig. Strikes by Round(career avg per round)

	R1 n=16	R2 n=16	R3 n=13	R4 n=1	R5 n=1
Landed	9	11	13	8	5
Absorbed	15	13	14	6	13
Net	-7	-2	-1	+2	-8

Grappling

Esparza

W. Strawweight avg

G&P Threat

238s ctrlElite Control

Offense

TD Landed / 15 Min3.28

TD Attempts / 15 MinUFC ONLY9.03

TD Accuracy36%

49UFC landed/135attempted

Sub Attempts / 15 Min0.30

1UFC wins/4attempted

Defense

TD Defense47%

17UFC defended/36opp. attempts

Sub Defense1 loss / 4 attempts

Finishing

Finish Rate

20%

Decision Fighter

Win Methods

1KO/TKO

1Sub

8Dec

Loss Methods

2KO/TKO

1Sub

3Dec

Finish Round Distribution

KO (W)

KO (L)

Sub (W)

Sub (L)

Cards & Decisions

Recovery RateRounds won after a lost round.

75%6 of 8 rounds

Decision MarginAvg pts/round on judges' scorecards.

1.3pts

W8 dec

—more needed

L1 dec

field avg 1.95 pts

Decision Types

5UD

5SD

1MD

45%split rate

Career Trajectory chart available on desktop.

Pace & Cardio

Output Builds Late

Output

Absorbed

Diff

R1n=16

R2n=16

R3n=13

Outputsig strikes / min

1.7

2.3

2.8

Absorbedsig strikes / min

3.0

2.7

3.0

Diff

-1.3

-0.4

-0.2

Per-round career averages · partial rounds time-adjusted · dashed = division avg · switch to 5R for championship rounds

Esparza — UFC Fight Log

Tecia PenningtonVeteran

U-DEC·R3·Oct '24

39 SS (32%)·80 abs·4/7 td·220s ctrl

Zhang WeiliTITLE

SUB·R2·Nov '22

6 SS (19%)·37 abs·1/4 td·55s ctrl

Rose NamajunasVeteranTITLE

S-DEC·R5·May '22

30 SS (23%)·37 abs·2/11 td·1 td taken·22s ctrl

Yan Xiaonan

KO/TKO·R2·May '21

27 SS (82%)·5 abs·3/3 td·438s ctrl

Marina Rodriguez

S-DEC·R3·Jul '20

33 SS (55%)·40 abs·5/9 td·534s ctrl·1 sub

Michelle Waterson-Gomez

S-DEC·R3·May '20

45 SS (44%)·44 abs·1/10 td·46s ctrl

Alexa Grasso

M-DEC·R3·Sep '19

44 SS (55%)·45 abs·4/11 td·432s ctrl

Virna Jandiroba

U-DEC·R3·Apr '19

25 SS (49%)·17 abs·4/10 td·3 td taken·325s ctrl

Round 116 rounds

Round 216 rounds

Round 313 rounds

Round 41 round

Round 51 round

Avg. Landed

Avg. Absorbed

Avg. Net

-7

-2

-1

-8

n=16

n=13

n=1

Landed

Absorbed

Net

-7

-2

-1

-8