It’s a bright blue building that stands out among Irvine’s bland warehouses, half of which has been a martial arts gym since 2006. Inside the spacious mat, several heavy bags fell victim to the sound of fists and feet slamming against the padded leather. With the groans of more than a dozen combatants.
Colin Oyama of the Team Oyama Training Center conducts research, patrols, and provides guidance and encouragement. When Oyama speaks, all the fighters stop and listen.
In one bag is the smallest fighter in the gym, bending over and feinting, making air come out of his mouth as if he were closing the bag as he splits it open.
At 5-foot-3, Carla Esparza leaves her feet red with a constant stream of kicks and attacks designed to punish. At the end of the session, everyone grabs an antibacterial wipe and wipes down the targets, including the first strawweight champion in UFC history.
A fighter with nothing to prove, Esparza has one final goal.
Esparza, just days shy of his 37th birthday, will be competing against Father Time, an undefeated faceless opponent known for exposing the flaws of older athletes, on Saturday in Salt Lake City. She has decided to fight Teshia Pennington one last time at UFC 307.
Former two-time UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza trains at Team Oyama Training Center in Irvine on September 25, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
And after that, Esparza was ready to fully embrace Mother Time. She and her husband, Matthew Lomeli, knew this day would come ever since their son, Donovan, was born a little more than a year ago. But most importantly, it was on her terms.
“I knew I wanted to start a family, but I also knew I didn’t know what pregnancy or coming back would be like. I wanted to get at least one more shot, just to prove to myself that I could do it. ,” the Tustin resident said.
Do you think being a first-time mother is difficult? Try becoming a fighter yourself. Fight camp couldn’t be more grueling, training for that final walk into the Octagon while spending every waking moment being the best mother you can be – physically, mentally and emotionally. will be spent on.
Add to that the challenge of breastfeeding while losing weight.
“She’s putting in a lot of dedication and time. She’s had to be extra careful,” said Lomeli, a family physician in Anaheim. “I know that while she loses weight and prepares for future weight loss and a possible decrease in milk supply, she is having additional visits from a lactation consultant to help with the process. . And it was definitely something big and new.”
Esparza has been striving as a professional MMA fighter for about 15 years. Through many ups and downs, Esparza persevered.
Carla Esparza (left) gives Cynthia Calvillo a left kick during Cynthia Calvillo’s unanimous decision victory at UFC 219 on December 30, 2017 at T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas. Hit the shot. (Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
She says it’s also the most selfish thing she’s ever done. And this past year has provided a life-changing reality check.
“You have to be unselfish to be successful. And I think being a mother is the most selfless thing you can ever do. And I think that’s the type of mother I want to be. I feel like I want to be, I have to work very selflessly,” she said.
Intense camps are common, battling injuries, preparing for five-round bouts, juggling media demands and all the pressure and scrutiny.
But now Esparza has had to get creative, stretching, foam rolling and getting treatments while having “tummy time” with Donovan. This camp became a new beast.
“All I can say is the scheduling, the lack of sleep, all the things that come with raising a child, especially being a mom,” she said. “The baby becomes physiologically dependent on you a little bit. In many ways, this was the toughest camp of my career.”
legacy
Like it or not, it’s impossible to talk about the history of women’s MMA without mentioning Carla Esparza.
Some fans are outraged by Esparza’s grappling style, which featured her days competing against boys at Redondo High School and being a two-time NAIA women’s wrestling All-American at Menlo College.
What is indisputable are two of Esparza’s proudest accomplishments. It’s about never denying your opponent and never missing the weight.
Esparza (19-7) won the inaugural Invicta FC strawweight belt at age 25 and his first MMA gold medal. A year later, when the UFC announced the first women’s slot on the reality show “The Ultimate Fighter,” she was competing in a 16-woman tournament, and Esparza, after being hurt and eventually submitted, won the new 115-pound She was crowned the queen of her division. Rose Namajunas at the finale on December 12, 2014.
Mr. Oyama, who Esparza calls his “second father,” has always been by Esparza’s side and in his corner, from when he was an “active high school student” until now. When their professional fighting journey began in 2010, there were no women competing in the UFC.
“Man, it’s been a really crazy journey,” Oyama said. “I never thought something like this would happen.”
Another part of Esparza’s legacy is his second championship belt, which he won with a split decision win over Namajunas at UFC 274 in May 2022.
Namajunas, a fellow two-time champion, has lost just six times in his career. Esparza is the only one to beat her twice.
And Esparza’s title reign lasted for seven and a half years (or more specifically, 2,612 days), a UFC record. Oyama says he respects winning his second title even more because of the hard work it took to get there.
“I’ve never gotten anyone outside my ranks along the way. I’ve never been offered a can of tomatoes,” Oyama said.
Former two-time UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza trains with coach Colin Ohyama at the Team Ohyama Training Center in Irvine on September 25, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
Now he will face Pennington, 35 years old (13 wins, 7 losses). Pennington fought Esparza on The Ultimate Fighter as Tecia Torres and later married current bantamweight champion Rachel Pennington. Pennington is scheduled to play defense on Saturday. Her belt will face former champion Juliana Peña in the semi-main event in 2022, and she is scheduled to give birth on June 1, 2023.
Not too long ago, new moms would send messages to each other during their pregnancies to strengthen their bond.
“It’s very difficult to find people who are sympathetic to what we do because it comes with unique challenges that no one really understands unless they’re in this position,” Esparza said. “So it was nice to have someone to talk to about things like that.”
But what about now? It’s just business and they’ll punch each other in the face. And life goes on, literally and figuratively, and a new life begins.
And maybe there is another life.
“I think the other part of this is she sees the next chapter of her life and is excited about it, especially with this fight,” Lomeli said. “We know she’s going to miss this and we’re excited for this next opportunity where she can focus on her endeavors and raise her son and possibly another child.”
Esparza said she plans to remain involved in the sport, helping train and coach Team Oyama and competing in grappling tournaments. She loves the sport too much.
But now I can only be selfish when I’m at home.
“I’m going to be a stay-at-home mom. If I won the lottery tomorrow, I’d still…that’s what I want to do,” Esparza said. “To be able to be at home with my son, have fun together, enjoy every moment, be really present in every moment, play with him and help him grow and achieve his dreams. I’m really looking forward to it and just to support my husband and his dream.
“It’s time to step away from the spotlight and onto the big stage. It’s time to step back and help your family.”
UFC 207
When: Saturday
Location: Delta Center, Salt Lake City
How to watch: Prelims (3 p.m., ESPN+); Main Card (7 p.m., PPV via ESPN+)
Former two-time UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza trains at Team Oyama Training Center in Irvine on September 25, 2024. (Photo by Hans Gutknecht, Los Angeles Daily News/SCNG)
First published: October 3, 2024 at 3:56 p.m.
