The comeback of former two-time UFC women's strawweight champion Carla Esparza is in the works for this fall.
Esparza hasn't entered the Octagon since losing the 115-pound gold to Zhang Weili by way of submission at UFC 281 in November 2022. The 36-year-old announced that she was pregnant four months later and gave birth to her son in September 2023.
"Cookie Monster" is now ready to resume her fighting career, and per MMA Junkie's Nolan King, that's expected to begin with a rematch of sorts against fellow veteran contender Tecia Pennington.
The pair previously collided on The Ultimate Fighter back in 2014, with Esparza emerging victories over Pennington in a quarterfinal contest en route to winning the entire strawweight tournament.
King's report revealed that their second dance is targeted for the UFC 307 pay-per-view on October 5, expected to take place in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Esparza vs. Pennington In The Works For UFC 307
Should this matchup be made official, both Esparza and Pennington will be searching for their first wins in years.
Esparza (19-7) dropped from contention back in 2018 after falling to consecutive losses against Cláudia Gadelha and Tatiana Suarez. But she followed that skid with a five-fight winning run comprised of triumphs over Virna Jandiroba, Alexa Grasso, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Marina Rodriguez, and Yan Xiaonan to earn a shot at two-time champ status.
"Cookie Monster" achieved that feat at UFC 274 in May 2022, getting the judges' nod in a lackluster rematch with Namajunas to capture the strawweight belt once again. But having relinquished her grip on it months later against Zhang, Esparza will return in pursuit of becoming the woman to regain a title twice in the UFC.
Out to ensure that run doesn't get out the starting blocks looks set to be Pennington (13-7). Like Esparza, "The Tiny Tornado" took a break in her career to give birth. That came after a narrow split decision loss to Mackenzie Dern in April 2022, a result that snapped her three-fight winning run.
Pennington made her return this past May at the UFC Fight Night in St. Louis, once again falling on the wrong side of a split verdict, this time against Tabatha Ricci. After celebrating her wife Raquel Pennington's bantamweight title crowning earlier this year, "The Tiny Tornado" will look to enjoy her own success inside the Octagon again on October 5.
With this addition, the fights currently expected to take place at UFC 307 are as follows:
- Movsar Evloev vs. Aljamain Sterling (featherweight)
- José Aldo vs. Mario Bautista (bantamweight)
- Carla Esparza vs. Tecia Pennington (women's strawweight)
- Chris Curtis vs. Kevin Holland (middleweight)
- Ketlen Vieira vs. Kayla Harrison (women’s bantamweight)
- Marina Rodriguez vs. Iasmin Lucindo (women’s strawweight)
- Ihor Potieria vs. César Almeida (middleweight)
