‘Pioneer’ Carla Esparza deserves UFC Hall of Fame nod, manager says

MMA manager Brian Butler believes Carla Esparza should have a spot in the UFC Hall of Fame waiting for her.

Esparza (19-7 MMA, 10-5 UFC), a former two-time UFC strawweight champion, won both the inaugural Invicta FC and UFC 115-pound titles.

The Season 20 “Ultimate Fighter” winner holds notable wins over Rose Namajunas twice, top contender Yan Xiaonan, and current UFC flyweight champion Alexa Grasso. Her manager, Butler, thinks her resume speaks for itself and should be historically acknowledged.

“Carla, in my opinion, deserves to be in the Hall of Fame,” Butler told MMA Junkie Radio. “She’s the first strawweight champion of the UFC and of Invicta, and she’s a repeat champion. She’s a pioneer for all women. There’s a very strong argument that she deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, and I hope that she gets that.”

Esparza lost her strawweight title to Zhang Weili at UFC 281 in November 2022. Months later, the 36-year-old announced she was taking a hiatus to have her son, but although Esparza intends on returning in 2024, Butler said she doesn’t have to.

“She has a goal in her head to come back and fight again,” Butler said. “She’s just getting back to training and stuff like that, slowly but surely. She does, but I will just tell you that it’s just so great to see Carla in the position that she’s in right now.

“She’s got a great family, a great husband, a great house, and just a great life. I just couldn’t be more proud of her and happy for her, so if she comes back, great. And if she doesn’t, great as well, because she is completely content.”