Why Tatiana Suarez Is The Next Big Thing
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The UFC has many women who have made an impact as strikers. This includes Holly Holm, Cris Cyborg, Amanda Nunes, as well as Joanna Jedrzejczyk. The company has also had many women who have made an impact as a wrestler, which includes Ronda Rousey, Claudia Gadelha, Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas. Most recently, the UFC has witnessed the next big women’s MMA figure in Tatiana Suarez.
Suarez is an Olympic wrestler who won The Ultimate Fighter: Team Joanna vs Team Claudia to earn herself a contract to the UFC. Since then, she has been able to prove her worth, remaining undefeated until this point.
Suarez won two bronze medals in a free style wrestling competition. She was ranked the #1 freestyle wrestler at 55 kg (121 lbs). While Suarez trained for the 2012 Summer Olympics, she suffered a neck injury that derailed her aspirations. An MRA and CAT scan revealed a bothersome disc on her neck, but also a cancerous growth on her thyroid. After months of recovery, Suarez was free of cancer, and after learning about Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, she learned about mixed martial arts.
What Suarez did to Carla Esparaza was as an example of pure dominance. Suarez exceeded expectations, and has climbed up the UFC rankings slowly because of it.
The division has big stars, but with the momentum Suarez is carrying, it won’t be long before she earns a bout with an elite talent. The year of 2018 still has a long way to go, and anything is possible for Tatiana Suarez at this stage. Eventually, we may even be calling her a championship contender.
The UFC is all about making talent shine, and Suarez could be the next in line. Within the next two years, I believe we will be calling Suarez the champion of the women’s strawweight division.
Photo credit: MMA Insight
