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UFC 249: Ferguson vs. Gaethje
Carla Esparza
Carla Esparza
15-6 · USA
VS
May 9, 2020 · Jacksonville, Florida, USA
Strawweight · 3 rounds
115.5lb
Weigh-in
115.0lb
Carla Esparza def. Michelle Waterson-Gomez by S-DEC, R3 5:00
Performance
Round by round
SSTDKDCtrl
R1
Esparza5/181/100:35
Waterson-Gomez9/280/000:00
R2
Esparza15/310/300:00
Waterson-Gomez13/260/000:00
R3
Esparza25/540/600:11
Waterson-Gomez22/440/000:00
Total
Esparza45/1031/1000:46
Waterson-Gomez44/980/000:00

Scorecards

Esparza vs Waterson-Gomez

RdDave TirelliHoward ReichbachSal D'AmatoCommunity
R19-1010-910-99.5-9.5
R29-1010-99-109.2-9.8
R39-1010-910-99.6-9.4
Total27-3030-2729-2828.3-28.7

Media (17 cards) · avg 29.127.9 · 17 Esparza · 0 Waterson-Gomez

Official cards + public consensus via MMA Decisions. Per round: Esparza-Waterson-Gomez.

Pre-fight

The model's read going in

The walk-forward model's call at the time of the bout — persisted out-of-sample, with no hindsight about the result.

Prediction
EsparzaWin probabilityWaterson-Gomez
70.1%29.9%
KO / TKO
19%
Submission
11%
Decision
70%
Expected fight time: 12.4 min
What drives the pick

Each bar is a feature's push on the model from the center axis. Red pushes toward Esparza, blue toward Waterson-Gomez. Tap a bar for why.

Predicted outcomes
Esparza70%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO13%19%
Submission6%8%
Decision51%73%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes43 (2456)act 45
Takedowns1.5 (0.03.9)act 1
Waterson-Gomez30%
Wins by
Model
Equity
Mkt
KO / TKO6%20%
Submission5%17%
Decision19%63%
Predicted output
Sig. strikes38 (2149)act 44
Takedowns0.2 (0.01.1)act 0
Combined totals~81 sig strikes~1.8 takedownsmkt —
How it ends
mkt —
R113%
R211%
R36%
Distance70%
Fighter props
Most sig. strikestie 1.3%
Esparza
55.3%-128
Waterson-Gomez
+12843.3%
Most takedownstie 28.1%
Esparza
62.0%-626
Waterson-Gomez
+6269.9%
Significant strikes — over/under
Esparza
Expected: 43.1
43
Over 43
41.9%
+135
Exactly 43
1.5%
push
Under 43
56.5%
-135
054108
Waterson-Gomez
Expected: 37.9
38
Over 38
41.4%
+138
Exactly 38
1.7%
push
Under 38
56.9%
-138
04895
Takedowns — over/under
Esparza
Expected: 1.5
1.5
Over 1.5
48.7%
+105
Under 1.5
51.3%
-105
035
Waterson-Gomez
Expected: 0.2
0
Over 0
22.0%
Exactly 0
78.0%
push
Under 0
0.0%
035

Odds are model-implied (no real prop market is priced for these). The “most” prices are draw-no-bet — a tie (for takedowns, usually 0–0) is a push, so each side is priced off its chance of winning given a result, while the % shown is the raw chance of landing strictly more. Drag a line in half-point steps: a half line (e.g. 2.5) is a clean over/under, while a whole number adds a third outcome — landing exactly on it, a push — so over, exact and under sum to 100%. On a whole number the over/under odds are draw-no-bet (priced off the decisive mass, since the push refunds), so the two sides stay mirror images rather than implying an arbitrage.

Expected fight time 12.4 min. Predicted-output ranges are percentiles of the model’s simulated fights: sig strikes the middle 50% (25th–75th); takedowns the wider 10th–90th, since they’re 0 in most fights so a narrow band would collapse to 0. Win-by-method = win probability × that fighter’s own method split: the model forecasts how the fight ends, and that forecast is divided between the corners by each fighter’s finishing record — UFC wins in full, earlier-career wins at half weight, as of fight night — reconciled so the fighters’ totals still equal their win probabilities and the methods still total the fight-level forecast above. “Equity” is each of those over that fighter’s win % — how they win given that they win — so a column adds to 100%, and it differs by corner. A fighter with no classifiable wins at any level leans on the fight-level split. “How it ends” is the model’s round-of-finish split. “Mkt” is the de-vigged market prop (consensus across books), shown for context, not as a betting signal; rounds & totals slots fill as that data lands. Percentages are apportioned by largest remainder, so each set adds to its total exactly and an individual figure can sit a point off its own rounding.

Model vs market
Final
ModelMarketGapLine
To win
Esparza70.1%58.8%+11.3-155
Waterson-Gomez29.9%41.2%−11.3+135

Market % is the de-vigged (no-vig) consensus across the books that price both fighters; the line is the average across books with the min–max range in parentheses. Gap is the model minus the market in points (+ = the model rates that outcome above the market). Thin or one-sided markets are flagged or left blank rather than shown as a fabricated %. Shown for context, not as a bet — the closing line is the sharpest public price and the model trails it on average. For 5-round bouts the model splits its round-3+ finish mass into rounds 3–5 by the historical within-bucket rate, so the over-3.5 / 4.5 lines carry a model estimate.

Trait web
59.3Striking60.6
Waterson-Gomez +1.3
51.6Grappling57.9
Waterson-Gomez +6.3
Str/minStr accStr defAbsorbedTD/15TD accTD defSubs
Hover a point to see the values
EsparzaWaterson-Gomez
Tale of the tape
Ratings (Elo)
1558
Pound-for-pound
1555
1558
Divisional
1556
1461
Striking offense
1500
1510
Striking defense
1508
1516
Grappling offense
1514
1489
Grappling defense
1501
Physical
32 yrs
Age
34 yrs
5'1"
Height
5'3"
63"
Reach
62"
Orthodox
Stance
Orthodox
Striking (UFC career)
2.22
Strikes landed / min
3.64
41%
Strike accuracy
53%
2.86
Strikes absorbed / min
4.40
54%
Strike defense
46%
Grappling (UFC career)
3.53
Takedowns / 15 min
1.79
36%
Takedown accuracy
45%
49%
Takedown defense
53%
0.3
Sub attempts / 15 min
1.1
Form & résumé
60%
UFC win rate
63%
+2
Win/loss streak
-1
60%
Last-5 win rate
60%
17%
Finish rate
40%
Recent opp. quality
231
Days since last fight
210
Recent form (last 5 UFC)
Carla Esparza
  • WAlexa GrassoM-DEC R3
    Close +1258mo before
  • WVirna JandirobaU-DEC R3
    Close -1301y before
  • LTatiana SuarezKO/TKO R3
    Close +3351y 8mo before
  • LClaudia GadelhaS-DEC R3
    Close +2301y 11mo before
  • WCynthia CalvilloU-DEC R3
    Close +1802y 4mo before
Michelle Waterson-Gomez
  • LJoanna JedrzejczykU-DEC R5
    Close +2507mo before
  • WKarolina KowalkiewiczU-DEC R3
    Close +1401y 1mo before
  • WFelice HerrigU-DEC R3
    Close +1151y 7mo before
  • WCortney CaseyS-DEC R3
    Close +1452y 1mo before
  • LTecia PenningtonU-DEC R3
    Close +1752y 5mo before
Esparza — win / loss by method
Record: 15-6-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
3 wins, 2 losses
W
20% of wins
L
33% of losses
Submission
4 wins, 1 loss
W
27% of wins
L
17% of losses
Decision
8 wins, 3 losses
W
53% of wins
L
50% of losses
UFC
6win4loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 (0%)KO/TKO(50%) 2
1 (17%)Submission(0%) 0
5 (83%)Decision(50%) 2
Non-UFC
9win2loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
3 (33%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
3 (33%)Submission(50%) 1
3 (33%)Decision(50%) 1
Waterson-Gomez — win / loss by method
Record: 17-7-0

Bar length is fight count (largest bar = full width); shading splits finishes by round and decisions by unanimous vs split — tap a bar for the round-by-round count.

KO/TKO
3 wins, 1 loss
W
18% of wins
L
14% of losses
Submission
9 wins, 3 losses
W
53% of wins
L
43% of losses
Decision
5 wins, 3 losses
W
29% of wins
L
43% of losses
UFC
5win3loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
0 (0%)KO/TKO(0%) 0
2 (40%)Submission(33%) 1
3 (60%)Decision(67%) 2
Non-UFC
12win4loss0draw0NC
WinsLosses
3 (25%)KO/TKO(25%) 1
7 (58%)Submission(50%) 2
2 (17%)Decision(25%) 1

Profiles

Experience
Esparza
Waterson-Gomez
10
UFC fights
8
140.3 min · 14.0 avg
Octagon time
108.8 min · 13.6 avg
16y 5m
Career length
19y 5m
UFC schedule strength

Opponents' records on fight night — toggle their full cross-promotional record vs UFC bouts only.

Esparza
Waterson-Gomez
84W–13L · 86.6%
Overall
80W–31L · 72.1%
49W–6L · 89.1%
Wins
51W–24L · 68.0%
35W–7L · 83.3%
Losses
29W–7L · 80.6%
Non-UFC schedule strength
Esparza
Waterson-Gomez
59W–20L · 74.7%
Overall
69W–43L · 61.6%
29W–16L · 64.4%
Wins
59W–41L · 59.0%
30W–4L · 88.2%
Losses
10W–2L · 83.3%
Distance striking
Esparza
Waterson-Gomez
2.83
Landed / min
5.33
30.7%
Accuracy
41.6%
65.2%
Defense
57.2%
0.00
Knockdowns / 15 min
0.00
42.8%
Time at distance
39.7%
Grappling & control
Esparza
Waterson-Gomez
3.53
Takedowns / 15 min
1.79
36.3%
Takedown accuracy
44.8%
48.6%
Takedown defense
53.3%
0.32
Sub attempts / 15 min
1.10
58.2%
Control share
46.4%
Strike target map
Esparza
  • Head71%(222)div 61%
  • Body17%(54)div 22%
  • Legs12%(36)div 17%
Waterson-Gomez
  • Head48%(192)div 61%
  • Body29%(115)div 22%
  • Legs22%(89)div 17%

Where each fighter lands significant strikes (career). “div” = the weight-class average.

Carla Esparza
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.

Michelle Waterson-Gomez
CloseSSTDKDCtrl

Per-fight: SS & TD shown landed/attempted; Close = consensus closing line.