10. Carla Esparza
The wily and persistent Esparza is a well-deserved inclusion in this list. Starting out as a solid wrestler and almost nothing else, lacking both submissions and striking, Esparza began 9-2, being submitted early in her career by the legendary Megumi Fuji and dropping a split decision to Jessica Aguilar, both in Bellator, but scoring decision triumphs over a young Nina Nunes and Felice Herrig. She ran through The Ultimate Fighter Season 20, which featured female strawweights and would crown its first champion among them. She submitted Angela Hill, won a very close decision over Tecia Torres, and then clearly beat Jessica Penne before meeting Rose Namajunas in the finals. Esparza scored a third-round submission over the then 2-1, 22 year-old Rose to become the first UFC strawweight champion. Her first title reign didn't last long, as she was utterly dominated by Joanna Jedrzejczyk, who easily stopped her takedowns and destroyed her in the striking, finishing her in the second round. Esparza would go 3-3 in her next six fights, scoring decisions over Julianna Lima and Cynthia Calvillo, but also dropping split verdicts to Randa Markos and Claudia Gadelha, the latter deserved and the former probably not. She was also being dominated in the grappling by Tatiana Suarez, possibly the biggest “what if” in WMMA history thus far, who finished her in the third round. After that loss, hardly anyone believed Esparza would be champion again, but the 31-year-old wasn't discouraged. She began massively improving, gaining size and strength on her 5 foot, 1 inch frame, upgrading her wrestling and BJJ technique, while considerably developing her striking, both in terms of her boxing as well as a solid defense, a major contrast to the porous one that Joanna Jedrzejczyk had exploited years ago. Esparza was rewarded by going 6-0, recording decision triumphs over tough contenders in Virna Jandiroba, Alexa Grasso, Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Marina Rodriguez, and finishing Xiaonan Yan with ground-and-pound before recapturing the title with a five round majority decision over her old rival Rose Namajunas. Yes, it was one of the most boring fights ever, but props to Esparza for being an improbable two-time champion. The list was compiled before she was submitted in the second round by Weili Zhang to lose her throne, but personally, I would have her in my top 10, regardless. At 35, I doubt Esparza will rise much on this list, possibly only fall out of it, but she has proven me and most fans wrong before.
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