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When Esparza first fought Namajunas, each had navigated her way in a matter of weeks in a house full of 16 fighters to the final of the tournament as part of a UFC reality show. “I’m just in constant awe of him, you know?” UPS AND DOWNS Such a good person, works with the underserved, just has a passion for helping people,” Esparza said. Ten months later, the man Esparza refers to as her Prince Charming proposed to her.Ī post shared by Carla didn’t even know people like this existed. “Why is this girl jacked? Why is she so ripped? This is weird. “I walk up and I’m like, ‘What the hell?’ I’m so confused,” Lomeli said. Little did he know he’d arrive and find two UFC fighters. Lomeli had seen a photo of Esparza in a gi and thought maybe she taught karate. He had just returned from a wine tasting excursion with friends in Paso Robles who nudged him to go. “He didn’t have time to look me up or anything, so it worked out in my favor,” said Esparza, whose close friend and fellow UFC strawweight Felice Herrig had just fought in Las Vegas and was flying into town.Įsparza suggested Lomeli join them for drinks in Costa Mesa. It was Esparza who made the first move in August 2020 and sprung a sudden first date on him. They had messaged, played some phone tag, maybe even talked on the phone. “Usually I would check because there’s catfish and dangerous people, right?” said Lomeli, a family physician who served eight years in the Navy and is currently Medical Director of Telehealth, Patient Access and Patient Service Center at AltaMed Health Services. Matthew Lomeli sent to Esparza via the Coffee Meets Bagel dating app was “Bora Bora is def bucket list” – a reference to the slice of paradise mentioned in Esparza’s bio.Įsparza had also listed her occupation as “professional athlete.” Most people in this day and age would head straight to Google – including Lomeli. In true Hollywood style, the couple agreed: The show must go on. Which, thanks to the UFC matchmakers, wound up being one week after Esparza’s biggest fight. The couple agreed on a small, private ceremony and sent out the date well in advance: May 14. Then add the rom twist: Less than two years ago, Esparza met an intriguing suitor on a dating app and set up an impromptu – and different – first date that kicked off a whirlwind romance. So I honestly didn’t see this fight happening.” “A lot of people maybe didn’t think she’d beat all the people that she beat and I think a lot of people were counting me out as well. It almost seems like it was aligning the stars when it kind of just all started coming together,” the 34-year-old Redondo High grad said. “It took so many crazy steps to get here. Esparza (19-6) must dethrone two-time champion Rose Namajunas (12-4) to reclaim her spot atop the 115-pound division – the same Namajunas whom Esparza defeated for the inaugural reign in “The Ultimate Fighter” Season 20 finale in December 2014. That journey in itself is worth the price of admission. The bride-to-be is Carla Esparza, who more than seven years after becoming the first strawweight champion in UFC history looks to win her title back at UFC 274 on Saturday at Footprint Center in Phoenix. There’s a soon-to-be wed couple in Irvine with a pretty good story. Before Hollywood cranks out another tired remake or a 10th sequel upon the movie-watching masses, it might want to send a screenwriter about 45 miles southeast.
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