Tatiana Suarez steps into the most important battle of her MMA profession coming off one of many largest layoffs she’s ever skilled.
But, regardless of the less-than-ideal circumstances, Suarez is just not frightened one bit.
Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), a longtime UFC ladies’s strawweight contender, challenges champion Zhang Weili (25-3 MMA, 9-2 UFC) within the co-main occasion of UFC 312 on Feb. 9 at Qudos Financial institution Enviornment in Sydney.
It’s been a very long time coming. Suarez lengthy has been thought of by many as one of many high fighters within the division, however she additionally had a 3.5-year layoff from 2019-2023.
“I don’t really feel any completely different, I simply really feel prefer it’s one other battle,” Suarez informed UFC Unfiltered. “It’s one other problem for me. I’m actually excited as a result of I’ve by no means had a five-round battle. But when anyone can do it, it’s me.”
The final time Suarez was seen within the cage was August 2023 when she submitted former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade. She fought twice that yr after her prolonged layoff.
Some fighters who expertise subpar performances after going by way of a protracted interval of inactivity typically check with that impact as “ring rust.” However that’s not one thing that’s crossed Suarez’s thoughts.
“I don’t take into consideration that stuff,” Suarez stated. “I simply take into consideration the best way I really feel after I practice. So long as I see every part, similar to I do in sparring, my vary is true, my grappling is on level, my timing is sweet. At any time when I’m out of preventing, like I’m not within the cage, I’m not sitting on the sofa doing nothing. I’m at all times doing one thing, at all times understanding.”
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