SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – FEBRUARY 09: (R-L) Zhang Weili of China punches Tatiana Suarez within the UFC strawweight championship combat through the UFC 312 occasion at Qudos Financial institution Area on February 09, 2025 in Sydney, Australia. (Picture by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)
The Final Fighter 23 winner Tatiana Suarez had lengthy been thought-about the “uncrowned Queen” of the ladies’s strawweight division, and on Saturday at UFC 312, she had the prospect to show it reverse reigning champ Weili Zhang.
Zhang was on her second stint because the UFC’s 115lb champ, with the one losses of her profession coming to “Thug” Rose Namajunas, and early on, future ONE Championship fighter Meng Bo. Suarez, in the meantime, was an ideal 10-0, however had fought sporadically because of harm since her TUF 23 win again in 2016.
With out query, there have been doubts about Suarez coming in, particularly given she hadn’t fought since 2023. The American had the clear edge in dimension, nonetheless, and after they got here collectively lower than a minute in and clinched up at heart, Suarez was in a position to drag the champ down. That put Suarez in facet management, although she’d find yourself again in half-guard after a second. Nonetheless, on prime, with ample time to work, and nowhere close to the fence. And Suarez took full benefit. Whereas she wasn’t in a position to do a lot injury, she was in a position to preserve the place, working her method again to facet management slowly and methodically. Zhang would lastly scramble to her ft with simply over a minute to go, however Suarez had her neck, and jumped right into a guillotine.
Zhang, nonetheless, was not in any hazard, and fought off each that, and a subsequent guillotine choke try, ending the spherical on prime.
Opening the second, Suarez got here out sporting some injury to at least one eye, although it was unclear what had truly precipitated it. 40 seconds in, Suarez shot in for the takedown, blasting right into a double-leg, and locking her palms. Suarez stayed on it, landed it, however Zhang reversed and received proper on prime! Suarez trapped a leg to defend, stopping Zhang from transferring to mount. Nonetheless, the challenger was in a foul spot, and her knee was busted open and bleeding, some nasty mat burn (later proving to be a reduce from the fence). Zhang, in the meantime, was in a position to unleash some nasty punches earlier than Suarez powered up, and as soon as up, Suarez needed to defend a guillotine.
From there, the pair traded knees within the clinch earlier than transferring again to heart. Zhang related with an enormous 1-2, the suitable hand touchdown clear. Suarez, in the meantime, had spent a number of power early, and went in on one other takedown try, closing a number of distance. She managed to get a physique lock, however Zhang fought her off, resulting in Suarez falling to her again, Zhang on prime. Zhang can be smothering on prime and finish the spherical there.
The third body noticed Suarez open with a leg kick; Zhang walked her down, her standup now a a lot greater risk with Suarez tiring. A proper hand related flush for Zhang, stopping Suarez in her tracks however not dropping her! She instantly shot in on a takedown, however didn’t have it. One other weak try adopted, with Suarez attending to her knees then standing again up, entering into on one other takedown. That didn’t land both; as an alternative, Suarez hit a knee to the physique, however Zhang fired again a simpler punch excessive off the break.
Suarez’s takedowns had been now starting to reek of desperation. Too far out, not sufficient behind them. Zhang’s boxing and footwork had been wanting crisp compared, and she or he was beginning to load up on her punches. In a clinch, the champ related with an elbow. Suarez had nearly actually received the opening spherical, nevertheless it had been all Zhang since.
Heading into the championship rounds, physique language was telling. Zhang was rapidly to her ft to reply the bell; Suarez was slouched over on her stool and got here out slowly. Zhang began in comparable trend to how she ended the third, connecting clear. She then landed an inside journey for a key takedown, and abruptly, the champ was in half-guard, threatening to go. Tatiana Suarez, in the meantime, was left enjoying protection in a spherical she desperately wanted to win.
Zhang would lock in an arm-triangle choke close to the halfway mark of the spherical, however couldn’t step over, and finally misplaced the submission. Nonetheless, Suarez was in a foul spot, nowhere close to attending to her ft, and providing nothing off her again. She completed the spherical there, and went again to her nook the place he crew tried to fireplace her up for a closing 5 minute push.
Weili Zhang wanted no such motivation. She was already fired up, elevating her arms, getting the gang cheering. Suarez, in the meantime, appeared involved with the gash on her knee, which had apparently come from the fence, and was somewhat nasty.
Zhang related with an elbow to start out spherical 5, then fought off a Suarez takedown, hopping on one leg and displaying spectacular stability. Suarez would return to that properly repeatedly, nevertheless it appeared the properly had run dry. After they did go down, it was Zhang in dominant place, threatening with a choke. Suarez survived that, however Zhang practically had a rear-naked choke in place once more moments later. And that allowed her to transition to prime place, in half-guard threatening to go. Suarez, on her again, blood framing her face, was spent. The one query, with 90 seconds left, was whether or not Weili Zhang would discover a end.
Because it turned out, they’d go the space, with Weili Zhang retaining her ladies’s strawweight championship, ending any speak of an “uncrowned Queen.”
Official Outcome: Weili Zhang def. Tatiana Suarez by unanimous choice (49-46, 49-46, 49-45)
