Based on merit alone, Carla Esparza should probably earn a strawweight title shot if she’s able to defeat Yan Xiaonan at UFC Vegas 27, which would be her fifth win in a row overall.
But as much as words like “deserve” get tossed around with championship opportunities on the line, quite often the top contenders in any division are determined by hype, public outcry or just the right amount of luck and timing.
In Esparza’s case, her chances of receiving a title shot increased exponentially after Rose Namajunas reclaimed UFC gold with her stunning first-round knockout against Zhang Weili back in April.