Tatiana Suarez challenges Zhang Weili for the UFC strawweight championship when the octagon lands in Sydney for UFC 312 on Feb. 8, and Mackenzie Dern shall be rooting for the upset.
Suarez is undefeated as an expert with seven of her 10 wins taking place contained in the UFC cage, however hasn’t been that energetic through the years because of accidents. In the meantime, the odds-on favourite Zhang has regarded extra dominant than ever since reclaiming the UFC title in 2022, defending it twice already in opposition to Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan.
For Dern, who headlines this weekend’s UFC Vegas 101 in a rematch in opposition to Amanda Ribas, a win for Suarez can be extra fascinating due to how they match up style-wise.
“My focus is the belt,” Dern informed MMA Combating. “However truthfully, I choose that Tatiana wins the belt [laughs]. I’d a lot relatively struggle a grappler, so I’m rooting for Tatiana to go there and win as a result of [fighting] Zhang Weili can be a lot tougher. I would like Tatiana to go there and rating a takedown. After which we keep on the bottom to win the belt [laughs].”
Suarez hasn’t fought in effectively over a 12 months, having a number of fights cancelled since choking out Jessica Andrade in August 2023, and Dern sounded shocked she’s coming again so quickly to the cage after cancelling a conflict with Virna Jandiroba in early December because of a well being problem.
“She pulled out of a struggle with Virna final month and is already effective to struggle for the belt. It’s loopy,” mentioned Dern, eyeing a possible title shot within the close to future with an enormous victory over Ribas in Las Vegas.
“Tatiana is at all times getting injured, she hasn’t fought shortly, however she’s undefeated. … The way in which I see it, Tatiana left the Virna struggle with an damage and is already preventing for the belt, so all we’d like is a little bit profitable streak right here and we will get in there.”
A choice over Lupita Godinez in her most up-to-date octagon look in August 2024 had Dern rebound from a Battle of the Night time bonus-winning defeat to Amanda Lemos six months prior, and he or she anticipates one other thrilling conflict below the brilliant lights of the UFC APEX on Saturday.
“I believe this struggle will go 5 rounds,” Dern mentioned. “I usually assume I’m getting the submission and I desire a submission, however Amanda is hard. It’s a must to cease her to win as a result of she comes ahead continuous, she has coronary heart and might take a punch. And he or she has good attain for the strawweight division, too. I don’t assume it’s going to be simple to shut the space, I believe he has good protection, and that’s why I believe it’s going to be the struggle of the evening.”
