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UFC Vegas 70: Tatiana Suarez is the fighter to watch

By Richard Ferraina

Sep 8, 2018; Dallas, TX, USA; Tatiana Suarez (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Carla Esparza (not pictured) during UFC 228 at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 8, 2018; Dallas, TX, USA; Tatiana Suarez (blue gloves) reacts after defeating Carla Esparza (not pictured) during UFC 228 at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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Tatiana Suarez is the fighter to watch at UFC Vegas 70.

We haven’t seen Tatiana Suarez since June 2019, and nearly four years later, she is finally returning to the Octagon. Suarez, who is a cancer survivor, has battled numerous injuries since her last fight, including reaggravating the neck injury which led to the reveal of her cancer. Suarez will be moving up to flyweight from her original weight class of strawweight, losing three-plus years in the sport and healthier choices for her body as the reason. Suarez was once the talk of the strawweight division while she was active, carrying an undefeated record and relentlessness when she fought.

Suarez has a background in wrestling and after a couple of amateur MMA fights, went pro in 2014. After starting off her pro career 3-0, Suarez joined season 23 of The Ultimate Fighter where she beat current flyweight JJ Aldrich and current Bellator flyweight Kate Jackson on her way to winning the Ultimate Fighter in a fight against Amanda Cooper. Suarez would go 5-0 against Invicta FC vet Viviane Pereira, current title challenger Alexa Grasso, former champion Carla Esparza, and the once-ranked and recently retired Nina Nunes. Suarez was well on her way to a title shot before the injuries started piling up.

Tatiana Suarez is looking to recapture the hype in a new division at UFC Vegas 70

Suarez will return from her hiatus Saturday night against grappler Montana De La Rosa. De La Rosa entered the UFC in 2017 at 7-4 and has a 5-3-1 record for the promotion, four of her five wins coming by way of finish, and holds wins over Rachael Ostovich, Nadia Kassem, and Ariane Lipski. De La Rosa is coming off a decision loss to the ranked Maycee Barber.

Suarez and De La Rosa will be the classic wrestler vs. grappler match, with both ladies very capable of finding a submission and finishing the fight. It will be interesting to see if ring rust will be a factor for Suarez and if she’s able to look like her old self while climbing the ranks in the flyweight division.

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UFC Vegas 70: Nikita Krylov vs. Ryan Spann takes place on Saturday, Feb. 25, 2023, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.

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