“My opponent had so much hype behind her, and I thought I wasn’t going to be able to deal with her jiu jitsu and it was going to be really scary,” Esparza recalled. “My coach even told me in between rounds, ‘It’s not as bad as you thought. It’s not as scary as you thought. Just keep doing what you’re doing on the ground like you got this.’ I was really hard on myself going into it, but I was able to dominate.”
What made it even better for Esparza was that it was a finish, a third-round rear naked choke submission over Namajunas. It made the win that much more satisfying and left her with no questions like a decision win might have done.
“To win that historical title, that first title in the strawweight division, was the best feeling of my life and probably still is to this point,” Esparza said.
Being able to experience the victory with teammates, friends, and family is what made the night special for Esparza.
“The night that I became champion, the biggest memory that comes to mind is the finish and the ‘Oh, my gosh, my hand is being raised,’ feeling” Esparza said. “That moment of pure, almost disbelief and happiness, that was the best feeling. Walking out with the belt and then just seeing all my teammates and friends after. I got to fight alongside my teammates on The Ultimate Fighter, including one of my best friends, Felice Herrig.”