Esparza loses decision in UFC 307 retirement fight

Carla Esparza, the former two-time UFC strawweight champion and a pioneer for women's MMA, suffered a unanimous decision loss to Tecia Pennington in the final fight of her career at UFC 307 on Saturday in Salt Lake City.

The judges scored the bout 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27 in favor of Pennington.

Esparza gave an emotional postfight speech after the defeat.

This was Esparza's first - and only - time stepping into the Octagon since giving birth to her first child in September 2023.

Esparza was a trailblazer for the strawweight division, first in Invicta FC and then the UFC. She joined the world's biggest MMA promotion in 2014 after competing on "The Ultimate Fighter 20," and she became the inaugural 115-pound champion with a submission of Rose Namajunas in the season final.

Esparza dropped the belt to Joanna Jedrzejczyk in her first title defense and went 3-3 in her next six outings.

However, Esparza climbed back to title contention with an impressive six-fight winning streak that spanned 2019-22. She defeated the likes of Alexa Grasso, Yan Xiaonan, Virna Jandiroba, and Marina Rodriguez to earn a title shot against then-champion Namajunas at UFC 274 in May 2022. Esparza beat Namajunas for the second time to become a two-time titleholder.

Esparza lost the strap to current champ Zhang Weili in a second-round submission defeat at UFC 281 in November 2022.

The 36-year-old finishes her career on a two-fight losing streak. She went 10-6 in the UFC and 19-8 overall. The California-based fighter made her pro debut in 2010.