Who became the inaugural UFC women's strawweight champion in 2014?

Carla Esparza became the inaugural UFC women’s strawweight champion in 2014. She won the newly created title by defeating Rose Namajunas in the finale of The Ultimate Fighter: A Champion Will Be Crowned.

The bout took place on December 12, 2014, in Las Vegas. Esparza used her wrestling and grappling to control much of the contest before submitting Namajunas with a rear-naked choke in the third round. The victory made her the first champion in the UFC’s 115-pound women’s division.

The division was introduced through the twentieth season of The Ultimate Fighter, which featured women’s strawweight competitors. Esparza entered the tournament as an accomplished fighter and former Invicta FC strawweight champion. Her tournament win carried both a UFC contract and the inaugural championship.

Joanna Jędrzejczyk later defeated Esparza at UFC 185 in March 2015 to capture the belt. Claudia Gadelha was a leading contender but did not win the inaugural title, while Rose Namajunas challenged for it in the final and lost. Esparza later regained the championship in 2022, becoming a two-time UFC strawweight champion.