![Carla Esparza at her wedding (left) and after her championship win (right). [Images courtesy: left image from Instagram @carlaesparza1 and right image from Getty Images]](https://staticg.sportskeeda.com/editor/2022/10/9db1b-16659009535995-1920.jpg)
![Carla Esparza at her wedding (left) and after her championship win (right). [Images courtesy: left image from Instagram @carlaesparza1 and right image from Getty Images]](data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg%20xmlns='http%3A//www.w3.org/2000/svg'%20xmlns%3Axlink='http%3A//www.w3.org/1999/xlink'%20viewBox='0%200%2010%206.25'%3E%3Cfilter%20id='b'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20stdDeviation='.5'%3E%3C/feGaussianBlur%3E%3CfeComponentTransfer%3E%3CfeFuncA%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20type='discrete'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20tableValues='1%201'%3E%3C/feFuncA%3E%3C/feComponentTransfer%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20filter='url(%23b)'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
As promised, Carla Esparza wore her UFC strawweight championship strap at her wedding.
Just weeks after winning the title again for a second time, Esparza swapped her UFC fight garb to don a wedding gown. However, one accessory remained on her – the coveted championship belt. 'Cookie Monster' strapped her belt to her wedding gown as her father walked her down the aisle to wed her fiancé Matthew Lomeli.
Check out the pictures from her beautiful wedding featuring her belt:
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Esparza won the strawweight title for a second time against Rose Namajunas after winning the inaugural championship back in 2014 against the same opponent.
After her split decision victory at UFC 274, Esparza was asked in the post-fight press conference if the reclaimed belt would make an appearance at her upcoming wedding. An excited 'Cookie Monster' promised reporters that the belt would be present at the ceremony:
"Oh, most definitely. I'm gonna walk with this belt down the aisle as my something new. Super excited about that. Yeah. I am, I am. It's gonna be wrapped around my wedding dress."
She also expressed relief at not receiving any visible damage to the face.
Check out Carla Esparza's comments in the UFC 274 post-fight press conference:
Kamaru Usman weighs in on Carla Esparza vs. Zhang Weili
Carla Esparza is set to kickstart her second title reign with a defense against Zhang Weili at UFC 281 at Madison Square Garden.
Former UFC welterweight champion Kamaru Usman weighed in on the fight in an appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience:
“They already announced that Carla’s fighting Zhang Weili, which is - I mean, that would be sad to watch. Let’s say Zhang Weili goes and takes the title from Carla, that would be sad to watch her walk around with the title when Rose [Namajunas] has bested her twice.”
Former champion Rose Namajunas, Usman's teammate, was adamant that she had done enough to defend her title against Carla Esparza at UFC 274 by sticking to her strategy. Usman shares her belief and wants her to be given another shot at the title.
Catch Kamaru Usman's complete interview on JRE below:
