Considering how much she has evolved as a fighter, Mackenzie Dern sees Rose Namajunas defeating Carla Esparza and avenging one of the first losses of her professional career.
More than seven years ago, Namajunas and Esparza fought at The Ultimate Fighter 20 finale. ‘Thug’ was submitted via third-round rear-naked choke by the ‘Cookie Monster’, who became the first-ever strawweight champion in UFC history. Fast forward to 2022 and now Namajunas has the championship, with Esparza still sitting near the top of the division and hoping to reclaim what she once held.
The key to victory for Esparza was her wrestling, which she has used to overwhelm her opponents on the ground.