Carla Esparza has issued a challenge to Rose Namajunas as she closes in on another shot at the UFC Strawweight Championship.

Last Saturday night, Esparza firmly cemented her place as one of the division’s top contenders with a dominant TKO victory over Yan Xiaonan. It marked her fifth straight win and, in the eyes of many, has taken her to the doorstep of a title opportunity.

The current champion, Rose Namajunas, knows a thing or two about Carla Esparza, given that the two battled one another for the belt during The Ultimate Fighter 20 finale in December 2014.

Now, Esparza wants to run it back, and you’d have to imagine she wants it to happen before the year is out.

We started this division together… Round 2?! #respect #tuf20 @ufc pic.twitter.com/NjXXNjNQ9l

— Carla Esparza (@CarlaEsparza1) May 25, 2021

“We started this division together… Round 2?! #respect #tuf20 @ufc”

Namajunas recently reclaimed the strawweight crown with an emphatic knockout win over Zhang Weili, but a fight against Esparza may not be as easy for her as some are led to believe.

That’s because in their first aforementioned meeting, Esparza submitted Namajunas in the third round to become the division’s inaugural champion. She didn’t hold it for very long, but Namajunas certainly wouldn’t have forgotten about that moment in the six & a half years that have passed since.

The UFC has a real opportunity to build Rose Namajunas up as a fresh star in the promotion, which is crazy, considering this is already her second run as champion. However, Carla Esparza has spent the last few years scratching and clawing her way back to the top – and she’s not prepared to surrender her position now.

Can Carla Esparza get the job done against Rose Namajunas for a second time? If so, how is she going to do it? Let us know your thoughts on this exciting potential strawweight showdown down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!