Have you ever seen a UFC champion as a major underdog? In the modern era? You have now.
Current UFC women’s strawweight champion Carla Esparza is an amazing fighter. She defeated Rose Namajunas to take the belt and MMA math would dictate that she was the favorite. After all, challenger Weili Zhang lost to Rose twice. Makes sense right?
Wrong.
Saturday night at UFC 281, Esparza will try and prove that she is a true champion when she squares off with former champion Zhang. If Carla defeats Weili Zhang there is no question she is the real deal. The only other opponent she would need to face is former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk but she is retired.
Carla has not proven herself to the odds makers because the consensus odds are shocking.
Weili Zhang -470
Carla Esparza +320
When you have the champion as the underdog by that margin it says a lot about the lack of confidence in here ability to perform.
Crazy.