UFC champ Esparza after VanZant's Reebok deal: 'I am constantly being overlooked'

Carla Esparza

Carla Esparza said her reign as UFC women’s strawweight champion hasn’t exactly gone as expected when it comes to promotional support.

Tuesday’s news of a Reebok sponsorship for Paige VanZant (via Twitter) was bittersweet for the champ. She was happy for the strawweight up-and-comer. And yet the endorsement was a reminder of opportunities that haven’t been offered to her.

“If you are asking me if I feel a little overlooked by the ‘UFC machine’ while Paige seemingly is getting a lot of play, then I would be lying if I said that thought didn’t cross my mind,” Esparza (10-2 MMA, 1-0 UFC) said in a prepared statement sent to MMAjunkie. “I feel so lucky to have been able to accomplish such amazing things in my WMMA career, but even through all of my accomplishments, and the extremely hard road it took to get them, I still feel as if I am constantly being overlooked.”

Reebok, of course, is free to sign whatever athlete it chooses as a flagship UFC sponsor and the maker of the promotion’s new uniforms, which are set to debut in July.

And it’s not the first time the apparel maker has signed a non-champion over a titleholder; No. 1 contender Conor McGregor inked a deal just before he defeated Dennis Siver this past month to earn a shot at champ Jose Aldo’s belt.

Paige VanZant

There’s no doubt, however, that the UFC has invested a lot its promotional resources in McGregor (17-2 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and VanZant (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC), who both are well-spoken and engaging presences in the media. McGregor is a constant presence in mainstream outlets, and VanZant has been pushed to a national audience of young men and women.

Meanwhile, Esparza’s media appearances are largely with the outlets that exclusively follow MMA.

It’s no secret that VanZant’s looks are a big part of her popularity, despite the 20-year-old’s determination to prove she’s a top contender. She said her upcoming fight against Felice Herrig, another competitor who openly uses her femininity as marketing tool, as an opportunity to cast off her label as a “pretty face.”

But for Esparza, the UFC’s push of VanZant is something of a disappointment given the years she’s put into the sport and her accomplishments.

“I get that its a business and they have their reasons, so I just have to keep doing what I do, and maybe I will feel that recognition soon,” she said. “Maybe I won’t. Maybe it’s just me, and maybe it’s just what I need to keep my fire. I don’t know yet.”

Esparza, who gave up a title in Invicta FC to sign with the UFC and join the cast of “The Ultimate Fighter 20,” was seeded No. 1 on the reality show. She walked a tougher road in the competition, facing more higher-seeded fighters overall than her fellow castmates.

Esparza felt that by “normal tournament standards,” she should have gotten the easiest bracket on “TUF.”

“It was quite the opposite,” she said. “Through all that, I still felt I was being counted out.”

Heading into the finale, Esparza was considered a slight underdog to Rose Namajunas. And yet she dominated the lesser-experienced fighter, earning a third-round submission win to claim the UFC strawweight belt. Until that moment, she hadn’t fought professionally in almost two years.

“Yet I still did not feel a big push from the UFC to promote me in the manner I saw others being pushed,” Esparza said.

Things could change, of course, as Esparza gets more exposure in the cage. In fact, that’s what she’s banking on. An upcoming title defense against the undefeated Joanna Jedrzejczyk (8-0 MMA, 2-0 UFC) at UFC 185 is an opportunity to remind fighters why she was considered the best fighter on “TUF 20? and why she’s the champion in the new division.

While good looks and a marketable personality might provide a head start in MMA, it’s the stuff inside the octagon that ultimately decides whether a fighter has longevity and popularity.

“I am not upset with the UFC by any means, and I am living my dreams – it’s just a little different than I had imagined is all,” Esparza said. “I am a humble fighter that tries to let my fighting do the talking. I am a team player and will always do what I can to support the UFC and my responsibilities as a champion.”

UFC 185 takes place on March 14 at Dallas’ American Airlines Center. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on FOX Sports 1 and UFC Fight Pass.

“I am optimistic that things will get better, but in the end I am here to fight and do my best to stay No. 1,” Esparza said. “I have a fight to focus on right now, so that is where my focus will lie. I am very happy for all of the fighters, including Paige.”

For more on UFC 185, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.