Randa Markos Says Bullying Speech Directed At Carla Esparza
Easily the biggest upset of UFC Fight Night 105 was the unranked Randa Markos getting a split decision win over former UFC Women’s Strawweight Champion Carla Esparza.
Markos’s post-fight speech focused on bullying, one she says was directed towards her fallen rival.
“(My speech) was because of my history with Carla, and I needed to say it because she feels she didn’t bully me,” Markos said to MMA Junkie. “I’ve heard in some interviews she didn’t do anything wrong. No, she did. She made me feel really bad about myself, and that didn’t need to happen. It’s so satisfying (to beat her). You don’t even know. I do hold grudges sometimes, but that really bothered me. She was constantly shoulder shoving me and all this stuff. I thought in the back of my head, ‘Just keep it inside, you’re eventually going to get your time.’ This was it, and I’m really, really happy I got this opportunity.”
The UFC Ultimate Fighter alumni has now earned three victories under the UFC banner, the other two wins came over Aisling Daly and Jocelyn Jones-Lybarger.
Bullying is something close to the heart of Markos, as she has a younger family member going through it right now.
“The stuff I went through, it was clear bullying,” Markos said. “I have a niece at home, and she’s being bullied right in school, and it really breaks my heart. I know what it feels like. I’ve been bullied in school and then I’m an adult now, and I was on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ and I was being bullied as an adult. It really needs to stop.”
The UFC Ultimate Fighter 20 was eventually won by Carla Esparza, who became the first ever UFC Womens’ Strawweight Champion.
