UFC’s Tatiana Suarez patiently awaits decision on title challenger

LAS VEGAS – Tatiana Suarez is on maintain.

Following a greater than three-year layoff attributable to neck and again points, Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC) returned to the UFC this 12 months and picked up the place she left off, successful two fights by submission in 2023.

The 32-year-old first choked out Montana De La Rosa in a flyweight bout this previous February at UFC Struggle Evening 220. Then she adopted that up final month by going again to strawweight and doing the identical factor to former champ Jessica Andrade at UFC on ESPN 50.

Each fights earned Suarez Efficiency of the Evening bonuses, so if there was ever an announcement to be made about her title-shot worthiness, she made it. However Suarez is patiently ready for the UFC to resolve its subsequent transfer and whether or not or not she or Yan Xiaonan will problem strawweight champion Zhang Weili.

“They haven’t let me know but,” Suarez mentioned Friday throughout a Noche UFC Q&A session. “I do know that they’ve Yan there, as effectively. I requested to do possibly a title eliminator together with her. However, as of now, I’m simply staying prepared and getting higher as a martial artist. When my time comes, I’ll be capable of capitalize.”

When there are two or extra deserving title challengers, generally the champ will get to choose. For her half, Weili mentioned final month after her win over Taila Santos that she was open to combating Suarez or fellow Chinese language standout Xiaonan coming off back-to-back wins.

Working in Suarez’s favor is the truth that she was already on a tear earlier than damage compelled her to sit down out for therefore lengthy. Amongst undefeated Suarez’s victories previous to the layoff have been back-to-back finishes of present flyweight champ Alexa Grasso (who defends her belt Saturday in a rematch with Valentina Shevchenko) and former strawweight champ Carla Esparza.