Here are some facts about Carla Esparza's MMA career, straight from the official records:

But when she heads to the cage on Saturday at UFC 307 in Salt Lake City for what she believes will be the final fight of her 14-year MMA career, she will do so in advance of one of the year's least-anticipated pay-per-view events .

And it's not like this is one of those pre-fight retirement announcements that come after a period of extended decline. Esparza was UFC strawweight champion as recently as 2022. The loss to current champion Zhang Weili, which cost her the belt, was her first loss in four years. Still, her exit from the sport appears to be muted and unannounced.

There's probably a lesson here somewhere about the different types of careers a fighter can have in this sport. Many fighters have generated more buzz and fan response (good and/or bad) without achieving anywhere near the actual, objective success that Esparza has. There are even some who feel like they've been making ends meet almost entirely through enthusiasm while simultaneously piling up losses.

Esparza has always been the different kind, one of those fighters who wins without ever drawing too much attention to herself.

“When I think of Carla, the first word that comes to mind is sweet,” said Shannon Knapp, president of Invicta FC. “She is just a very nice, humble, hardworking and decent person. She was never the one to beat her chest and say, 'Look at me.'”

The problem is that this is a business that highly rewards “look at me” behavior. Grabbing a share of the spotlight and forcing people to pay attention is almost part of the job description. It's not like Esparza didn't notice, either. Rather, it just never came naturally to her and she was too sincere to fake it.

“I've just never been the person who cares that much about getting attention,” Esparza said. “I'm not the most outspoken. I'm not really exaggerating. Maybe I don't get as much recognition as some other fighters, but at the end of the day it's not really about the recognition for me. I just love being able to play the sport and give my best to the sport. Seeing it grow, especially among women, is the reward for me.”

When looked at from this perspective, much about Esparza's career makes more sense. For example, the way she stands in her corner during introductions before each fight, without a hint of emotion on her face, looking more like a person waiting for her turn at the DMV than like a person who is just moments away from a televised fight? This is clearly someone who doesn't care so much about putting on a show.

Equally unfazed by criticism of her second UFC strawweight title win against Rose Namajunas in 2022? That's pretty telling of a person who doesn't really care about how he's perceived by fans.

But as she approaches her final fight against Tecia Pennington at UFC 307, it's hard not to stop and wonder how Esparza will be remembered.

“I would like to be known as one of the pioneers, someone who really contributed to women's sports and women's martial arts,” Esparza said. “We see so many headline cards from women. We see so many women getting into jiu-jitsu classes and martial arts in general. So if I were to get credit for anything, I'd like to get it for playing part of what helped make this happen. That would be great for me.”

Will she get this recognition? That's the part that's hard to say right now. For some fighters, their careers look a lot better in a few years. Others are forgotten.

Regardless of whether anyone wants to applaud her for it or not, Esparza has an undeniable claim to UFC and women's MMA history. She wasn't just a UFC champion – she was first in her division. The fact that she came back and won the title again seven years later is at least rare enough to be remembered.

But perhaps how fans remember Esparza is up to them. She enjoys the time she spent in MMA and everything she gave for it is hers. And the beauty of being someone who never screams for attention? You don't care if people don't give it to you. Even if you deserve it.