Tatiana Suarez: Everything you need to know about the UFC Fighter

Tatiana Suarez is someone that is worth watching out for in the UFC. The rising Strawweight is currently undefeated in MMA with a professional record of 8-0 to her name and here is what you need to know about her.

Wrestling and getting diagnosed with Cancer

Suarez began wrestling before she became four years old, as all of her older brothers did, and she insisted that her mother allow her to wrestle as well. She attended Northview High School and graduated with honors. She is a two-time bronze medallist in the international freestyle wrestling championships. She won the Bronze Medal at the World Championships in Moscow in 2010. Two years earlier, she had won Bronze Medal at the World Championships in Tokyo as well.

She was the number one freestyle wrestler in the United States at 55 kg in 2011. (121 lb). Suarez had a neck injury while training for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, which ended her Olympic dreams. Not only did an MRI and CAT scan uncover a troublesome disc in her neck, but also a malignant tumor on her thyroid.

Suarez had her thyroid and multiple lymph nodes removed, as well as radiation therapy. Her thyroid cancer was gone after successful treatment, and she was able to resume training. Suarez began training in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, which led to her interest in mixed martial arts. She is currently a Brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. She has also won gold medals at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship. Suarez won gold medals at the 2013 and 2015 World Jiu-Jitsu championships.

Tatiana Suarez in MMA

Suarez began her MMA training in 2013 and made her Amateur debut in February 2014, defeating Elizabeth Rodriguez in the first round via TKO. She fought again a month later and won a unanimous decision over Jessica Pryor before deciding to turn pro.

Suarez made her professional MMA debut in July 2014, defeating Tyra Parker by unanimous decision in the Gladiator Challenge organization. In April 2015, she returned and submitted Carolina Alvarez in the first round by armbar.

In August 2015, she made her final bout for the organization, defeating Arline Coban in the second round by TKO. She won the Gladiator Challenge in the California State Championship Series with her victory.

The Ultimate Fighter and UFC

Suarez was chosen to compete in the reality show The Ultimate Fighter's 23rd season. Chel-c Bailey was lost by a unanimous decision in her fight to get into the house. Cláudia Gadelha chose her as the number one overall pick because of her outstanding performance.

In the quarterfinals, she faced JJ Aldrich, the number one pick of Joanna Jdrzejczyk and an Invicta FC veteran. She advanced to the semi-finals after submitting Aldrich in the second round with a rear-naked choke. Kate Jackson, a member of Team Claudia, was her opponent in her third fight. She guillotine choked Jackson in the opening round and advanced to the live final.

On July 8, 2016, at The Ultimate Fighter 23 Finale, Suarez met Team Claudia teammate Amanda Cooper in the finals. She won the bout in the first round by D'Arce choke to win the strawweight competition.

On December 9, 2016, Suarez was set to fight Juliana Lima at UFC Fight Night: Lewis vs. Abdurakhimov. Suarez, however, withdrew from the fight on November 23 due to injuries and was replaced by JJ Aldrich.

On November 11, 2017, at UFC Fight Night: Poirier vs. Pettis, Suarez fought Viviane Pereira. She was declared the winner by a unanimous decision. Suarez fought Alexa Grasso at UFC Fight Night 129 on May 19, 2018. In the first round, she won the bout by rear-naked choke.

Tatiana Suarez vs. Carla Esparza

Suarez fought Carla Esparza at UFC 228 on September 8, 2018. As the battle began, Esparza attempted a takedown, but Suarez immediately reversed the position and knocked the former champion to the ground.

From there, it was all Suarez as the former Olympic prospect bludgeoned Esparza from the top with punches and elbows while putting on an incredibly devastating display. Esparza had many contusions swelling on her face at the halfway point of the round, having taken so much damage from Suarez's ground and pound approach.

Esparza managed to survive the round, but Suarez showed no signs of slowing down, swooping in for another takedown to keep the pressure on. Suarez was mauling Esparza with takedowns and ground control, and the former strawweight champion was just trying to stay alive on the bottom.

Esparza was ultimately able to escape with little over a minute left in the round, but she couldn't dodge the forward pressure as Suarez instantly placed her back down on the mat.

The final round was much of the same, with Suarez pinning Esparza to the mat and launching short inside elbows and punches into the cage. Suarez stepped into the mount with less than a minute to go and began firing a flurry of shots, leaving Esparza with nowhere to run.

After a barrage of unanswered blows landed on Esparza, the referee called a halt to the carnage and awarded Suarez the TKO victory at 4:33 of the final round.

At UFC 238 on June 8, 2019, Suarez took against Nina Ansaroff by unanimous decision, she won the battle.

Break due to injury

After her win against Nina, Tatiana Suarez was sidelined due to the recurring bulging disc in her neck. She was ruled out of action for more than two years due to this.

In May 2021, Suarez noted that she has been cleared to compete and added that she was excited to get back into the cage.

"I'm super excited to get back out there. It's fun to practice, for sure. But it's just different competing. Everybody knows that. It's super exciting to just show what you're working on,” she noted during her interview with ESPN.

After a notable three-and-a-half year break from competition, Suarez made her highly anticipated return at UFC Fight Night 220 on February 25, 2023. She faced off against Montana De La Rosa in a thrilling flyweight bout. In an impressive display of skill, Suarez secured a guillotine choke submission in the second round, marking her victorious comeback. Her remarkable performance earned her the well-deserved Performance of the Night bonus, highlighting her undeniable talent and resilience.

Looking ahead, Suarez was set to take on Virna Jandiroba at UFC Fight Night 226 on August 5, 2023. However, a recent report on June 20 revealed that Jandiroba sustained a knee injury, leading to her withdrawal from the bout. Stepping in to replace her is none other than the formidable Jéssica Andrade. This highly anticipated matchup promises to deliver an intense and thrilling battle inside the octagon. Fans eagerly await Suarez's return to the cage as she continues to make her mark in the flyweight division.

Female Khabib Nurmagomedov

Her dominant wrestling style has earned her the Female Khabib Moniker. When asked about the same, Suarez noted that she is happy to be compared with someone like Khabib.

“Of course it’s a compliment, he’s the best in the world right now and he’s a great fighter. I Love the way he fights. I mean it’s somewhere to my style so of course, I think it’s a compliment. I am my own fighter of course, but I do feel like our styles are similar so I’m never offended by that,” she noted during one of her interviews.

Tatiana Suarez Age, Height and Weight

Tatiana Suarez was born on 19 December 1990 in the United States. She has Mexican ancestry as well. She is 5 ft. 5 inches tall (1.65 meters) and fights at Strawweight. She has a reach of 64 inches.

Tatiana Suarez Instagram

Tatiana Suarez is on Instagram as @tatianasuarezufc. She is available on Twitter as @tatianaUFC.

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