Tag: Tatiana Suarez

Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland 2, Zhang Weili vs. Tatiana Suarez Announced For UFC 312 In Sydney

MMA’s leading promotion is set for an electric start to the new year, with a blockbuster lineup for Los Angeles in January being followed by two more championship fights at UFC 312 in Australia. After opening its pay-per-view account for 2025 with Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2 and Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at […]

MMA’s leading promotion is set for an electric start to the new year, with a blockbuster lineup for Los Angeles in January being followed by two more championship fights at UFC 312 in Australia.

After opening its pay-per-view account for 2025 with Islam Makhachev vs. Arman Tsarukyan 2 and Merab Dvalishvili vs. Umar Nurmagomedov at LA’s Intuit Dome, the UFC will be back in Sydney for its latest show at the Qudos Bank Arena.

And returning to the site where he was shockingly crowned middleweight champion in 2023 will be Sean Strickland (29-6). Despite Khamzat Chimaev gaining support for his claim to a title shot, “Tarzan” will indeed get his chance for redemption at UFC 312 opposite the man who dethroned him this past January, Dricus Du Plessis (22-2).

That news was announced by the broadcast team during Saturday’s UFC 310 PPV, alongside news of the Feb. 8 co-headliner between strawweight queen Zhang Weili (25-3) and undefeated contender Tatiana Suarez (10-0).

Du Plessis has recorded one title defense since dethroning Strickland, submitting former two-time champ Israel Adesanya at UFC 305 in Perth this past August. The American challenger, meanwhile, successfully staked his claim for a rematch opposite the South African by outpointing Paulo Costa in a lackluster five-round affair in Newark.

For Zhang, UFC 312 will mark her second challenge since returning to the throne at the expense of Carla Esparza in late 2023. She most recently defeated fellow Chinese standout Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 this past April. In Suarez, “Magnum” faces a highly regarded wrestler who has long been touted for success on MMA’s biggest stage. She’ll look to ensure her injuries are a thing of the past and open a new era at 115 pounds.

With this addition, the current fights expected to take place at UFC 312 in Sydney on Feb. 8 are as follows:

  • Dricus Du Plessis (C) vs. Sean Strickland (middleweight championship)
  • Zhang Weili (C) vs. Tatiana Suarez (women’s strawweight championship)
  • Jimmy Crute vs. Marcin Prachnio (light heavyweight)
  • Rei Tsuruya vs. Stewart Nicoll (flyweight)
  • Quillan Salkilld vs. Anshul Jubli (lightweight)

4 Fights We Need to See After UFC Fight Night 248

The UFC was back in Macau on Saturday, and brought some of its top talent from China and wider Asia along for the trip. In the main event, former bantamweight…

The UFC was back in Macau on Saturday, and brought some of its top talent from China and wider Asia along for the trip. In the main event, former bantamweight…

Health Issues or Miscommunication? Uncertainty Surrounding Tatiana Suarez vs. Jandiroba at UFC 310

Tatiana Suarez addresses withdrawal from UFC 298 fight through injury I won't be out for longIt is unclear whether or not Tatiana Suarez is injured and will fight at UFC 310. The US-born Suarez…

Tatiana Suarez addresses withdrawal from UFC 298 fight through injury I won't be out for long

It is unclear whether or not Tatiana Suarez is injured and will fight at UFC 310. The US-born Suarez was booked for a title eliminator match later this year against Virna Jandiroba, but uncertainty has surrounded this fight.

Is Tatiana Suarez Injured?

The 33-year-old Tatiana Suarez was confirmed to be fighting Virna Jandiroba on December 7, in a match that would choose the next contender against reigning champion Zhang Weili. Yesterday a report came out saying that Suarez was injured, due to health issues, and she had to withdraw from the UFC 310 bout. But this was not confirmed by the UFC.

Once this news had gone public, on X, Suarez Tweeted: “I did not get injured. I’m curious where you heard this. Why would you put this out there?” But to add to the confusion, this Tweet was quickly deleted by the UFC athlete. Now, it is unclear what is happening to this fight.

Tatiana Suarez
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Virna Jandiroba has moved forward assuming the bout is off. Yesterday, upon hearing the news, Brazil’s Jandiroba called out the division titleholder Zhang Weili for a match. On X, she Tweeted: “Hi [Zhang Weili], I’ve heard you wanna fight and my fight just got canceled. Let’s make this fight happen?!” China’s Zhang currently has no fights booked and does not have a clear contender in the weight class.

Zhang Weili
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – APRIL 11: Zhang Weili of China is seen on stage during the UFC 300 press conference at MGM Grand Garden Arena on April 11, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

Carcará’ Virna Jandiroba is a dangerous submission grappler with a strong background in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. With consecutive wins over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, Lupita Godinez, and Amanda Lemos, she has earned her top-ranking position in this division.

Virna Jandiroba
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JULY 20: Virna Jandiroba of Brazil reacts after her submission victory against Amanda Lemos of Brazil in a strawweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at UFC APEX on July 20, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

For much of her career, Tatiana Suarez has been suffering from various injuries. She was a standout wrestler who also earned accolades in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Currently, she is unbeaten in MMA with ten bouts. Since making her debut in the UFC, though, she has only had seven bouts since 2016. In that time, five matches have been canceled due to injuries or illness.

Tatiana Suarez Withdraws from UFC 310, No. 1 Contender Bout Against Virna Jandiroba Canceled

Tatiana SuarezThe US-born athlete Tatiana Suarez has reportedly withdrawn from her scheduled UFC 310 match against Virna Jandiroba, which was…

Tatiana Suarez

The US-born athlete Tatiana Suarez has reportedly withdrawn from her scheduled UFC 310 match against Virna Jandiroba, which was supposedly a title eliminator, on December 7.

Tatiana Suarez

The 33-year-old Tatiana Suarez has a decorated freestyle wrestling background who was has been touted as a future champion in the UFC. Throughout her wrestling career, she has medalled in both international wrestling and Jiu-Jitsu, making her an incredible grappling talent.

Since transitioning to professional MMA, Tatiana Suarez has put together an unblemished 10-0 record. However, injuries have plagued her career.

Tatiana Suarez
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Tatiana Suarez Injured

For a title eliminator bout, Tatiana Suarez was set to face Virna Jandiroba at UFC 310 booked for December 7. According to a report from MMA Mania, Suarez has withdrawn from the bout due to health issues.

Her most significant setback was a neck injury and thyroid cancer diagnosis that derailed her Olympic wrestling aspirations and kept her out of MMA competition for four years from 2019 to 2023. Since her return, Suarez has continued to face injury-related challenges, including a recent knee injury that forced her to withdraw from a scheduled bout against Amanda Lemos at UFC 298. Despite her undeniable skill and potential, these recurring injuries have significantly impacted her ability to maintain an active fighting schedule.

Report - Tatiana Suarez set to return in UFC 310 fight with Brazilian star Virna Jandiroba

She has now had seven completed bouts in the UFC with five cancellations since her promotional debut in 2016.

In an interview, while discussing her injuries, Suarez said:

“I know you have a timeframe to do this, and I just want to make the most of the time I have. If I want a long career, I have to be careful. I don’t want to permanently damage anything or damage something where I’m out for a long period of time. So, this has forced me to be more technical and to understand that not every day has to be a hard day to get better.”

As for Virna Jandiroba, it is not clear what will happen to her at UFC 310. No news has been reported if she will be on the fight card again after this injury announcement. The division champion Weili Zhang, of China, does not have a contender in this division and does not have her next fight scheduled.

Tatiana Suarez Refutes Injury Claims After Reports Of UFC 310 Fight Cancellation

There’s significant uncertainty surrounding the condition of UFC strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez and her status for the December pay-per-view. After serious injuries took away years of her career, Suarez made a splash in her return to action last year. Following a successful comeback fight up at flyweight, the undefeated wrestling specialist announced herself back in […]

Continue Reading Tatiana Suarez Refutes Injury Claims After Reports Of UFC 310 Fight Cancellation at MMA News.

There’s significant uncertainty surrounding the condition of UFC strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez and her status for the December pay-per-view.

After serious injuries took away years of her career, Suarez made a splash in her return to action last year. Following a successful comeback fight up at flyweight, the undefeated wrestling specialist announced herself back in the 115-pound title picture by submitting Jéssica Andrade.

But 2024 hasn’t gone smoothly for the Californian after injury forced her out of a planned clash with ex-championship challenger Amanda Lemos this past February.

And recent reports suggested her woes had continued, with X account @MMAmelotto first reporting that Suarez had withdrawn from a top contenders’ clash with Virna Jandiroba at UFC 310 due to injury.

A number of reliable sources subsequently supported that, including MMA Junkie’s Nolan King.

Though all signs are pointing toward that bout on Dec. 7 being canceled, confusion emerged when Suarez posted training images from the day of the injury report and began refuting those claims on social media.

Suarez responded to a post on X that branded her injured, insisting that’s not the case. She didn’t, however, dispute that her clash with Jandiroba is no longer happening and later deleted the tweet entirely.

A report from MMA Fighting’s Damon Martin listed an undisclosed health issue as the reason for her apparent withdrawal from UFC 310, rather than a fight-related injury.

Things will likely be cleared up by Suarez and her team soon. But while injury doesn’t seem to be the reason, it would appear that she won’t be making the walk inside T-Mobile Arena later this year, making 2024 another calendar year without a fight for the highly regarded strawweight contender.

Continue Reading Tatiana Suarez Refutes Injury Claims After Reports Of UFC 310 Fight Cancellation at MMA News.

Tatiana Suarez Doesn’t Get Title Shot, Reportedly Faces Contender At UFC 310

Barring a surprise challenger for champion Zhang Weili, it appears that the UFC strawweight title won’t be on the line again in 2024. Having put in two bonus-worthy performances since making her long-awaited comeback in early 2023, Suarez was tipped by many to be next in line for Zhang, who last defended her belt opposite […]

Continue Reading Tatiana Suarez Doesn’t Get Title Shot, Reportedly Faces Contender At UFC 310 at MMA News.

Barring a surprise challenger for champion Zhang Weili, it appears that the UFC strawweight title won’t be on the line again in 2024.

Having put in two bonus-worthy performances since making her long-awaited comeback in early 2023, Suarez was tipped by many to be next in line for Zhang, who last defended her belt opposite Yan Xiaonan at the milestone UFC 300 event this past April.

The Californian appeared to be in a two-horse race with Virna Jandiroba, whose submission of Amanda Lemos in a UFC Fight Night main event in the summer marked her fifth straight triumph.

Should recent reports come to fruition, however, neither woman has been given the assignment. Instead, they’ll have to battle one another for it.

According to Brazilian outlet Ag. Fight, a clash between the #1- and #3-ranked strawweight contenders is set to take place on the UFC 310 card at Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena on December 7.

Suarez, Jandiroba Expected To Meet In Likely Title Eliminator At UFC 310

Should this bout be made official by the UFC, the final pay-per-view of 2024 will include high stakes at 115 pounds.

Suarez (10-0) has done what she can to make up for lost time after injuries kept her away from the cage for close to four years. After announcing her return with a submission win over Montana De La Rosa up at flyweight, the 33-year-old wrestling specialist forced a tap from Jéssica Andrade to put her immediately back into the strawweight title conversation.

Jandiroba (21-3), meanwhile, has found winning form following an inconsistent 3-3 start to life in the UFC. After defeats to Carla Esparza, Mackenzie Dern, and Amanda Ribas stalled her rise, the Brazilian has gone on her longest winning run on MMA’s biggest stage, outpointing Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Loopy Godinez before a bonus-winning submission of former title challenger Lemos in what marked her main event debut.

Suarez vs. Jandiroba joins a light heavyweight matchup between Anthony Smith and Dominick Reyes as the second fight reported for UFC 310 on Dec. 7.

Tatiana Suarez
Image: Chris Unger/UFC/Zuffa LLC)

Continue Reading Tatiana Suarez Doesn’t Get Title Shot, Reportedly Faces Contender At UFC 310 at MMA News.