Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) strawweight contender, Tatiana Suarez, kept her undefeated record intact last weekend with a first-round submission win over Alexa Grasso at the UFC Fight Night 129 mixed martial arts (MMA) event in Santiago, Chile (replay here).
Unfortunately for the 27-year-old submission specialist, that performance is starting to be overshadowed by what came before it; namely, the promotion’s pre-fight photo shoot. That’s where UFC photographer, Mike Roach, instructed Suarez to highlight the UFC logo on her shirt, as well as her “assets” sitting prominently on both sides.
Trying to draw conclusions from a 14-second clip can be a slippery slope, but the footage clearly struck a nerve on Twitter, particularly with some other female UFC fighters who are accustomed to being featured for their looks and not for their talent.
“This is the kind of shit we have to put up with,” No. 3-ranked flyweight Lauren Murphy replied.
Suarez has yet to comment on the kerfuffle.
There are dissenting options, of course, that point to the male demographic as it pertains to how the promotion markets its product, as well as those female fighters who take advantage of their physical appeal to grow their own personal brand.
It wasn’t that long ago when UFC was operating without any women at all. That changed with the rise (and eventual fall) of former women’s bantamweight champion, Ronda Rousey, but it still hasn’t changed the opinion of some very prominent male athletes (like this guy) who believe women should stay home and raise kids.
If that’s what some of the athletes are saying … you can just imagine what some of the dopey fans are saying. Actually, you don’t have to imagine when you can just head to this Twitter thread and judge for yourself.