5'3" Flyweight Marlen Esparza was born  in Houston, Texas.  Esparza began her boxing career at 12 years old after growing up in a household that loved the sport. In May 2012, Esparza became the first American woman to qualify to compete in the 2012 Olympics in London, the first year that women’s boxing made its debut as an Olympic event. She would win the bronze medal in the women’s flyweight division.

 In 2017, Esparza became the first female fighter signed by Golden Boy Promotions, and to kick off her professional debut,  Esparza had her first world title opportunity, the WBA Flyweight Interim World Championship; but unfortunately, the fight was stopped prematurely in the 9th round because Esparza was severely cut from an accidental headbutt, so the decision went to the scorecards. However, that first loss did not stop Esparza’s momentum as she came back stronger with back-to-back victories over former world title challenger Sulem Urbina and Shelly Barnett.

In 2021, Esparza had a successful year, with an unanimous decision victory against Ibeth Zamora Silva for the WBC Flyweight World Championship and successfully defended her new world championship title against former world champion Anabel “Avispa” Ortiz. On April 9, as part of the undercard of Ryan Garcia vs. Emmanuel Tagoe, Esparza faced her toughest challenge to date, taking on five-division world champion Naoko Fujioka. The fight pitted the #1 vs. #2 in the female flyweight division, granting them the honor of fighting for the first-ever Ring Magazine Female Flyweight World Championship. After 10-rounds of non-stop action from two of the mightiest female fighters in the flyweight division, the judges ruled in favor of Esparza unanimously, crowning her the new WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine World Champion.

Summary of some of her fights since turning pro: 

March 23, 2017 - Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California
Marlen Esparza, 110, won a four-round unanimous decision over Rachel Sazoff, 109.

May 6, 2017 -  MGM Hotel, in Las Vegas, Nevada
Marlen Esparza, 110.5, now 2-0-0, won a four-round unanimous decision over Samantha Salazar, 111. The rounds were three-minute, not the two-minute rounds.  three minute rounds. They fought on the undercard of the Canelo vs. Chavez card.  Great to see a female bout on a big card as this! 

September 16, 2017 - T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada
Marlen Esparza (3-0), the 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist of Houston, Texas, scored a six-round unanimous decision victory against Aracely Palacios (8-8, 1 KO) in the flyweight division. Esparza showed the influence of her world-renowned trainer, Virgil Hunter, as she intelligently used her left hand to jab and gauge distance before landing combinations from the outside on Palacios, a native of Durango, Mexico. Esparza cruised to her win with three scores of 60-54. 

December 14, 2017 - Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California
Marlene Esparza, 111, won a six-round unanimous decision over Karla Valenzuela, 113¾. All judges scorecards were 60-54.

April 6, 2018 - Belasco Theater, Los Angeles, California, USA
Marlen Esparza (5-0, 1 KO), the 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist of Houston, Texas, scored an exciting third-round TKO victory against Laetizia Campana (2-5) of Philadelphia, Pa. in the exciting main event of the April 6th edition of LA FIGHT CLUB at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles, Calif. and televised nationally on EstrellaTV's Boxeo Estelar.   Full Story

July 18, 2018 - Fantasy Springs Casino, Indio, California, USA
Flyweight Marlen Esparza,  111¼, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Sonia Osorio, 111¾.  The two were fighting for the WBO NABO Flyweight title.

November 2, 2019 - MGM Hotel & Resort, Las Vegas, Nevada
In what was described as the "Best Fight of the Night" by countless boxing fans who viewed Marlen Esparza vs. Seniesa Estrada,  was GOOD for women's boxing---but BAD for Esparza who received a nasty cut on her forehead from an accidental headbutt.  Seeing the photos on the net of the cut was not for the "weak" to view----Esparza's cut was a substantial gash that was clearly an opened wound.   Full Story

October 30, 2020 -  In the United States, at the Fantasy Springs Casino, in Indio, California, flyweights Marlen Esparza, 111¾, of Houston, Texas, won an eight-round unanimous decision over Sulem Urbina,   111½, of Phoenix, Arizona.  Final judges scores were 80-72, 8-072, and 78-74.  Esparza improved her record to 8-1 (1KO), and Urbina experienced her first loss as a professional and is now 12-1-0 (2KO).

June 19, 2021 - Don Haskins Center inEl Paso, Texas
Marlen Esparza defeated a very tough opponent Ibeth Zamora Silva in a 10 round title bout fighting for the WBC Flyweight World title. The two fought at the . Final Judges scores were:  96-92, 95-94, 96-94.  Esparza is now 10-1-0 (1KO). Silva fell to 32-7-0 (12 KO).

December 18, 2021 - AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
Flyweight Marlen Esparza, 111 1/2, won a ten-round unanimous decision over Anabel Ortiz, 111 1/4.  The two were fighting for the WBC Flyweight title.  In a second female bout, strawweight Seneisa Estrada, 104 1/2, won by a fourth round KO over Maria Micheo Santizo, 103 3/4. The bout was scheduled for ten rounds.  Estrada won the WBA Strawweight world title.

April 9, 2022 - Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
Marlen Esparza, 111.5, won a ten-round unanimous decision over Naoko Fujioka, 111.5.  The two were fighting for the WBC and WBA Flyweight title.  Final judges scores were 100-90 on all cards.

 

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