Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza UFC fight info, date and time
Co-main event
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza is set to go down at UFC 274: Oliveira vs. Gaethje at 11:30pm EST on Saturday 7th May 2022 in a UFC strawweight championship matchup.
Rose Namajunas’ last fight saw her defend the UFC Strawweight Championship in a rematch with Weili Zhang at UFC 268.
Carla Esparza earned a shot at the belt with a dominant TKO victory over Xiaonan Yan in May last year.
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza betting odds
Rose Namajunas opened as a -175 betting favorite. Placing a bet on Namajunas means you would need to bet $175 in order to win $100.
Carla Esparza is a +155 underdog. If you bet $100 on Esparza then you would win $155.
Fight information
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza was first reported on March 16th.
Just signed!
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) March 17, 2022
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza is made official for #UFC274! pic.twitter.com/fWOTFlIYHW
This will be a rematch between these two fighters after they met back in 2014. Esparza won that fight by submission to claim the inaugural 115lbs belt.
Rose Namajunas
Rose Namajunas successfully defended her title in a bruising rematch with Weili Zhang in November, earning a narrow split decision.
THAT LEFT HOOK THO!!!@RoseNamajunas #UFC217 pic.twitter.com/bxo33yzSLi
— UFC (@ufc) November 5, 2017
“Thug Rose” won the belt for the second time in her career with a stunning round one head-kick knockout against Zhang at UFC 261.
Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza finished contender Xiaonan Yan in May to set up a fascinating rematch with Namajunas, eight years after defeating her for the inaugural Strawweight belt at The Ultimate Fighter 20 Finale.
Esparza is now riding an impressive five-fight winning streak which includes victories over Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez.
How they match up
Rose Namajunas is considerably taller than her opponent at 5”5 compared to Esparza who is 5”1. However, she will only have a slight 2-inch reach advantage.
Reasons to watch
This will be an exciting fight between two female fighters at the peak of their powers. It’s no secret that Carla Esparza will likely look to grappling prowess to win this fight. However, Rose Namajunas has the wrestling and submission skills to counter her opponent.
The stakes
The UFC Strawweight Championship is at stake, so everything is on the line. The incumbent champion will also have a score to settle after she was defeated by Esparza in 2014.
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza predictions
The oddsmakers’ predictions have Rose Namajunas as the favorite with opening betting odds of -175.
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza picks
Get your Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza picks in.
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza tale of the tape
- Significant 5 year age difference: Namajunas is the younger fighter at 29 years old.
- Namajunas has a slight 2 inch reach advantage.
- Significant experience difference: Esparza has 9 more professional MMA fights than Namajunas.
| Rose Namajunas | vs | Carla Esparza |
|---|---|---|
| 29 | Age | 34 |
| 18 | Fights | 27 |
| 11 | Wins | 18 |
| 4 | Losses | 6 |
| 2 | KO’s | 3 |
| 8 | Subs | 6 |
| 5′ 5 | Height (in) | 5′ 1 |
| 65 | Reach (in) | 63 |
MMA record breakdown: Common opponents for Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas
The two fighters share 5 common opponents throughout their professional careers; Michelle Waterson, Randa Markos, Joanna Jędrzejczyk, Tecia Torres and Angela Hill.
Rose Namajunas has the better record against the shared opposition, at 6-1 to Carla Esparza’s record of 3-2
| Michelle Waterson vs Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas | ||
|---|---|---|
Carla Esparza Win • Decision R3 5:00 |
vs. Michelle Waterson
| Rose Namajunas Win • Submission R2 2:47 |
| Randa Markos vs Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas | ||
|---|---|---|
Carla Esparza Loss • Decision R3 5:00 |
vs. Randa Markos
| Rose Namajunas Win • Submission R1 2:45 |
| Joanna Jędrzejczyk vs Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas | ||
|---|---|---|
Carla Esparza Loss • KO/TKO R2 4:17 |
vs. Joanna Jędrzejczyk
| Rose Namajunas Win • Decision R5 5:00 Win • KO/TKO R1 3:03 |
| Tecia Torres vs Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas | ||
|---|---|---|
Carla Esparza Win • Decision R2 5:00 |
vs. Tecia Torres
| Rose Namajunas Win • Decision R3 5:00 Loss • Decision R3 5:00 |
| Angela Hill vs Carla Esparza and Rose Namajunas | ||
|---|---|---|
Carla Esparza Win • Submission R1 3:41 |
vs. Angela Hill
| Rose Namajunas Win • Submission R1 2:47 |
“The Cookie Monster” Carla Esparza fighter profile and recent form
Carla Esparza is a 34 year old female fighter from United States with 18 pro wins and 6 losses. See Carla Esparza’s full MMA record.
Carla Esparza has a 34% finish rate, including 3 by knockout, 6 by submission, 12 by decision.
Carla Esparza is currently riding a 5 fight win streak.
Betting Odds
Think Carla Esparza gets the upset win?
Last 5 bouts
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Weight class | Org |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Win |
17-6-0 | Xiaonan Yan |
KO/TKO
R2 2:58
|
UFC Fight Night | 2021-05-22 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Win |
16-6-0 | Marina Rodriguez |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC Fight Night | 2020-07-25 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Win |
15-6-0 | Michelle Waterson |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC 249 | 2020-05-09 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Win |
14-6-0 | Alexa Grasso |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC on ESPN+ 17 | 2019-09-21 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Win |
13-6-0 | Virna Jandiroba |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC on ESPN+ 8 | 2019-04-27 | Strawweight | UFC |
“Thug” Rose Namajunas fighter profile and recent form
Rose Namajunas is a 29 year old female fighter from United States with 11 pro wins and 4 losses. See Rose Namajunas’s full MMA record.
Rose Namajunas has a 64% finish rate, including 2 by knockout, 8 by submission, 4 by decision.
Rose Namajunas is currently riding a 3 fight win streak.
Betting Odds
Think the favorite Rose Namajunas gets win?
Last 5 bouts
| Result | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Weight class | Org |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Win |
10-4-0 | Weili Zhang |
DEC
R5 5:00
|
UFC 268 | 2021-11-06 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Win |
9-4-0 | Weili Zhang |
KO/TKO
R1 1:18
|
UFC 261 | 2021-04-24 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Win |
8-4-0 | Jéssica Andrade |
DEC
R3 5:00
|
UFC 251 | 2020-07-11 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Loss |
8-3-0 | Jéssica Andrade |
KO/TKO
R2 2:58
|
UFC 237 | 2019-05-11 | Strawweight | UFC |
|
Win |
7-3-0 | Joanna Jędrzejczyk |
DEC
R5 5:00
|
UFC 223 | 2018-04-07 | Strawweight | UFC |
Who is fighting tonight in the UFC?
Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza is set to go down at UFC 274 – Oliveira vs. Gaethje. The fight is expected to start at around 11:30pm EST on Saturday 7th May 2022.
How to watch the Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza fight with online UFC streaming
ESPN+ is the best option to live stream Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza if you live in the United States. Outside of the USA, the best option is to register for UFC Fight Pass.
Where can I get the best odds for the Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza UFC fight?
Want to see how much you could win by betting on this fight? Use our odds calculator below.
Use the AllStar’s directory to find the best sportsbooks and recommendations on where to place UFC bets online. If you just want to play for fun, head over to to our Fantasy UFC picks app to make your fight predictions for Rose Namajunas vs Carla Esparza totally FREE.
The AllStar also has a comprehensive UFC betting guide and UFC Odds Comparison tools to help you find the best online betting opportunities.
