Ever since she made her debut in the UFC by dominantly winning Season 23 of “The Ultimate Fighter” in just her fourth pro bout in 2016, Tatiana Suarez has looked the part of future champion in the making.
Little did anyone know, however, that Suarez (10-0), a native of Covina, California, who was a 2012 Olympic hopeful in the sport of wrestling, would need to wait an additional nine years in order to finally be healthy enough to take her shot at championship glory.
For most fighters, the heartbreak of dealing with constant injury and doubt, including a four-year gap at the peak of her prime when Suarez was sidelined, would have been enough to derail their hopes and dreams. But most fighters simply don’t possess the type of determination, drive and work ethic as the 34-year-old Suarez.
Each injury and setback has only added more fuel to Suarez’s incredible level of perseverance, which she was forced to develop long before fighting in the UFC was ever a thought in her mind. On Saturday, at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia, the unbeaten Suarez will finally get her shot at gold when she challenges Zhang Weili for the women’s strawweight title.
Suarez, who was named the 2007 national high school…
