The inaugural UFC strawweight champion has a date set for her Octagon return.
Carla Esparza will step in for an injured Jessica Aguilar and meet Julianna Lima at UFC 197 in Las Vegas. MMAFighting.com confirmed an initial report by the Los Angeles Daily News, who broke the story Tuesday.
Esparza (11-3), of Redondo Beach, Calif., won the title in Dec. 2014. She went into The Ultimate Fighter 20 as the reigning Invicta champion and thus the top seed in the season-long tournament to determine the first 115-pound champ, then submitted Rose Namajunas to claim the title.