UFC women’s strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez has responded following her unanimous decision defeat to Zhang Weili at UFC 312.
Suarez was favored by some sportsbooks heading into Saturday night’s co-main event in Sydney, Australia, but on the night she came up second best to a superb performance from Zhang, who retained her title with scores of 49-46, 49-46, 49-45.
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Suarez looked crestfallen as she left the Octagon having suffered the first defeat of her professional MMA career, but today, after taking time to process her title fight experience and assess her performance, she posted to Instagram to share her thoughts on the night.
“‘Champions don’t show up to get everything they want; they show up to give everything they have.’ And that’s what I’ll do every single time. No matter what,” she wrote.
“I love it all. Win, lose or draw, I’m right where I want to be. Doing what I love to do every single day of my life. I have the best people around me that love me for me. Living the dream! It’s all about the right mindset and life has taught me time and time again. I’ve experienced it all thrill, agony, happiness, heartbreak.
“That’s what life is all about. I’m blessed to have this life. And I’ll share these experiences with my children and the future generations to come. Thank you to my friends, family, teammates, coaches and fiancé for being there every single time no matter what. Love you guys! On to the next!”
If there’s one thing Suarez knows, it’s how to bounce back from adversity. The former amateur wrestling standout saw her Olympic dream ended by a neck injury that, upon further examination, also revealed the presence of a cancerous tumor.
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Suarez underwent treatment to remove the cancer, before transitioning her wrestling skills to MMA, where she made her name as the winner of Season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter as she earned her place in the UFC.
Strongly tipped to do well in the UFC’s women’s strawweight division, Suarez has had to contend with numerous injuries during her career thus far. And, while her first shot at UFC gold may have ended in defeat, Suarez is now firmly established as a contender at the top of the division, and will look to position herself for a second shot at the belt with some strong performances through 2025.
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