Table of Content
Tatiana Suarez is preparing for her return to the octagon this Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 293. She is set to face fellow strawweight contender Virna Jandiroba at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.
A Path to the Championship
Currently ranked No. 3 in the USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie women’s strawweight rankings, Suarez (12-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) sees her upcoming fight against the No. 4 ranked Jandiroba (23-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) as a crucial step toward a title opportunity. With former champion Zhang Weili currently on hiatus, Suarez believes the winner of this weekend’s bout should be the next in line to challenge current champion Mackenzie Dern.
“Yeah, absolutely, because we’re at the top of the division other than Weili,” Suarez told MMA Junkie and other reporters during Wednesday’s media day. “So, I just feel like it makes sense that we’re gonna be next in line for the belt.”
Learning from Past Adversity
Suarez’s previous title attempt resulted in a unanimous decision loss to Zhang Weili at UFC 312 last February. That defeat marked the first time the fighter had experienced a loss in her professional career. Reflecting on the experience, Suarez noted that the setback provided significant mental growth and highlighted areas for technical improvement.
“I took a lot from that fight, obviously – um, I guess it’s not obvious, because not everybody does that, but I’m sure you have to,” Suarez explained. “There’s just no way you don’t take anything from a loss, you know? For me, it’s helped me in a lot of ways mentally.”
She emphasized that the fight taught her how to handle adversity and the importance of maintaining a high fight IQ during high-stakes matchups. Despite the loss, she noted that she remained resilient throughout the contest. “She hit me with some good shots, and I just kept coming forward. But I think more importantly, I just feel like being a skilled fighter and having the fight IQ is important when you have big fights like that,” she added.
Focusing on a Statement Performance
Since her loss to Zhang, Suarez has secured consecutive victories, including a unanimous decision win over Amanda Lemos and a second-round submission of Loopy Godinez. Heading into Saturday’s event, she is determined to secure a finish against Jandiroba to solidify her case for a title shot against Dern.
“I always look to go and finish my opponents and have a statement performance,” Suarez stated. “I never go out there, I’m like, ‘I just kinda want to only win,’ you know? I always want to go out there and finish my opponent, so that’s what I am focused on.”
The co-main event between Suarez and Jandiroba will be available for viewing on Paramount+.
