Strawweight champ Carla Esparza: 'I'm a different breed'

After not just beating but submitting a favored phenom, Carla Esparza had a shiny golden championship belt wrapped around her waist in the center of the Octagon last December. The California fighter had become the first-ever 115-pound UFC champion with a dominating win over fellow TUF 20 finalist Rose Namajunas, and standing there with her arm raised was the gratifying end of one road and the start of a whole new one.

"It was probably the most satisfying and rewarding feeling of my life," she told FOX Sports ahead of her UFC 185 appearance next weekend.

"There were so many doubters, and it was such an historic accomplishment. It was just so much put together, including giving back to my coach [Colin Oyama], giving him the credit that he deserves. He has been there for me my whole carer. It was satisfying in so many ways."

Just as soon as she had climbed to the top of the mountain, however, Esparza was tabbed to defend her position. This Saturday, the strawweight champion will defend her title -- just three months after she won it -- against Joanna Jedrzejczyk in Dallas. Given the length of training camps, Esparza has had little time at all to rest and recover between bouts.

"Honestly, not really," she admitted.

"I've gone from camp to camp, even before. From when I was preparing for an Invicta title defense, to The Ultimate Fighter, which is basically one camp, to going right back into camp afterwards to get ready for the title fight, to getting ready for this one. I basically had two weeks for myself, and that's it."

A schedule as busy as hers means plenty of grinding and wear-and-tear, but it may also benefit the champion in at least one way.

"Without taking time off, I could say that for this camp, I did come back in shape, and sharp," she explained.

"Sometimes when you take time off, it can take your mind and body awhile to get back in the groove. I didn't have any time off, so I didn't have any time to get out of a groove."

With such a quick turnaround, Esparza has not lost any of her momentum, but the UFC has also perhaps not had the time to properly promote their newest champion. Esparza has openly opined that her title defense against Jedrzejczyk has not gotten as much promotion from the organization as it should have, and even that other strawweights are getting more opportunities and hype than she is as the division's top woman.

When pressed, Esparza couldn't deny that she has a bit of a chip on her shoulder, but also specified that it doesn't provide her with her main motivation.

"Yes and no," she said. "That's not my No. 1 motivation. My first motivation is just to win this fight. If I'm out there saying, 'I'm the champ, and they should have been promoting me,' but a month later I lose and I'm not the champ, all that was for nothing. So, I just want to win this fight."

Esparza knows that her first title defense will be a tough one. The champ believes that her undefeated challenger is dangerous with skills to spare.

"I feel like her biggest strength is her speed and power with striking," Esparza said. "She has KO power. And, she has a tenacity to get back up, even if she gets taken down. She has very good takedown defense as well."

All that said, the wrestling-based champ is confident that she'll give Jedrzejczyk a different and overwhelming look.

"She's never felt someone like me," Esparza said. "I feel like I'm a different breed. I'm very aggressive, and I move non-stop. I don't think a lot of women have faced that."