Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili: Height, weight, reach, and record comparison

Carla Esparza is scheduled to defend her strawweight title against No.2-ranked Zhang Weili at UFC 281 on November 12 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Let's take a look at how the two women compare in terms of their height, weight, reach, and records.

Two-time UFC strawweight champion Carla Esparza stands 5'1" tall and weighs in at the strawweight limit of 115 pounds. 'The Cookie Monster' is an orthodox fighter and holds a reach of 63".

The 35-year-old Esparza has 19 wins and six losses in her professional MMA career. The American has been undefeated since 2019 and is currently on a six-fight win streak. In her last fight at UFC 274, she dethroned Rose Namajunas via split decision.

Zhang Weili, also a former strawweight champion, holds a three-inch height advantage over Esparza at 5'4". Weighing a similar 115 pounds, she possesses a reach of 63".

Although predominantly an orthodox fighter, Weili often switches to southpaw during fights. The Chinese national's MMA record comprises 22 wins and three losses. In her last octagon outing, the 33-year-old challenger secured a second-round knockout victory against former champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Another interesting statistic to note is that while Weili has lost twice to Rose Namajunas, Esparza holds two wins against 'Thug' on her resume.

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Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili odds comparison

Based on the live betting odds available on DraftKings Sportsbook, Zhang Weili is a -340 favorite against the champion Carla Esparza, who is a +280 underdog.

This means that a $1000 bet on 'The Cookie Monster' will result in a payout of $3800 if the champion successfully defends her title. The same bet placed on the challenger will provide users with a payout of $1294.11 if Weili wins the contest.

Image courtesy @sportsbook.draftkings.com

UFC 281 is headlined by a middleweight title fight between dominant champion Israel Adesanya and No.4-ranked contender Alex Pereira.

The event also features a highly anticipated lightweight match-up between former title challengers Dustin Poirier and Michael Chandler.

Former UFC lightweight champion Frankie Edgar is also scheduled to have his retirement fight against Chris Gutierrez at UFC 281.