Where is Tatiana Suarez? A Timeline of Her Career, Injuries, and Return
Tatiana Suarez has been missing in action for years now and has become a rare beast in the MMA world. Her last fight took place at UFC 238 in June of 2019. After making the elite look average in a terrifying rise to the top, she disappeared.
Who is Tatiana Suarez?
Where does the hype come from?
Tatiana Suarez competes in the UFC Strawweight division and holds a professional record of 8-0-0. She is currently unranked due to inactivity and her notable wins include Carla Esparza, Alexa Grasso, and Nina Nunes.
After making her profesional debut in 2014 and picking up 2 more wins, Suarez competed on season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter where she went 3-0 with her superhuman grappling, winning the season with a first-round guillotine choke. She burst onto the UFC scene as the hot new prospect and potential challenger to the throne.
Despite the early naysayers' doubt, being only 3-0 at the time, she looked every bit the world-beater fans made her out to be. She won her UFC debut with a round 1 submission win, then defeated 13-0, Viviane Pereira. Next came her first real challenge in Alexa Grasso, who she ran through in less than 3 minutes. She then TKO'd former champion Carla Esparza and picked up another win over perennial contender Nina Nunes before disaster struck.
Injuries
What happened?
After defeating Nina Nunes in June of 2019, Suarez would see the first setback of her UFC career. She sustained a neck injury that kept her sidelined for over two years. Over the break, she made various appearances throughout the MMA world, telling storing of wrestling with the likes of Khamzat Chimaev in saunas and appearing in interviews and shows. Her long-awaited return was finally scheduled for UFC 266 in September 2021, where she was to take on MMA pioneer and fan favorite Roxanne Modafferi. Unfortunately, leading up to the bout, she revealed on her Instagram that she'd injured her knee and would be forced to the sidelines once again. It has been over a year since then, and fans are starting to wonder if she'll ever return.
The Return
When is her next fight?
Suarez has put to rest doubts about her return, as she has finally healed and is eyeing a fight very soon. Per Nolan King, she is looking at an early-quarter 2023 date, as early as February.
Who will she take on next, and will she make it back to the octagon injury free? Let us know in the comments below.
