Report: Namajunas-Esparza rematch to co-headline UFC 274
UFC strawweight champion Rose Namajunas will defend her title against Carla Esparza in the co-main event at UFC 274 on May 7 in Phoenix, Arizona, according to Shaun Al-Shatti of MMA Fighting.
The fight would mark a rematch for the "TUF 20" alums. Esparza won the inaugural 115-pound belt by securing a third-round submission victory over Namajunas in 2014.
Namajunas (11-4) will walk into the Octagon as champion in their second meeting. "Thug Rose" is currently riding a three-fight win streak that includes back-to-back wins over Zhang Weili.
Esparza (18-6) enters the contest with five consecutive victories. "The Cookie Monster" scored a TKO finish over Yan Xiaonan last May. Esparza campaigned for a title shot following the victory, but the promotion opted for a Namajunas-Zhang rematch instead.
The strawweight rematch joins a star-studded card that also features Charles Oliveira defending his lightweight title against Justin Gaethje.