De Boa Jiu Jitsu would like to send a big CONGRATULATIONS to Carla Esparza of Lotus Club Irvine on becoming the first UFC Women's Strawweight Champion!
Carla was a contestant on the Ultimate Fighter 20 which was the first ever female contestant season. The winner of the show got the opportunity to fight for the belt of a brand new division.
Carla used and impressive display of wrestling to take out Rose Namajunas in the finals. Her Jiu Jitsu looked sharp through out the show, Carla is a purple belt under Giva Santana. Her home gym is team Oyama with head MMA Coach Colin Oyama, which is also Lotus Club headquarters in the USA. Congrats Colin, Giva, Mo Khayat and the whole Lotus Club Irvine team!
Lotus Club has always had a great tradition of Jiu Jitsu in MMA, starting with Giva and Fabio Nagao to the late Shane Del Rosario, to Kamuela Kirk; this is the first Lotus Club UFC Champion but I don't see it being the last.
Carla was a contestant on the Ultimate Fighter 20 which was the first ever female contestant season. The winner of the show got the opportunity to fight for the belt of a brand new division.
Carla used and impressive display of wrestling to take out Rose Namajunas in the finals. Her Jiu Jitsu looked sharp through out the show, Carla is a purple belt under Giva Santana. Her home gym is team Oyama with head MMA Coach Colin Oyama, which is also Lotus Club headquarters in the USA. Congrats Colin, Giva, Mo Khayat and the whole Lotus Club Irvine team!
Lotus Club has always had a great tradition of Jiu Jitsu in MMA, starting with Giva and Fabio Nagao to the late Shane Del Rosario, to Kamuela Kirk; this is the first Lotus Club UFC Champion but I don't see it being the last.
