Who will replace Tatiana Suarez to fight Amanda Lemos at UFC 298 following injury?

Tatiana Suarez, the undefeated UFC fighter, is also known by the unofficial moniker of ‘The Female Khabib Nurmagomedov’. Having fought at bought strawweight and flyweight, Suarez is touted by many to become a two-division champion and pound-for-pound queen in the UFC.

Suarez began her career by running through opposition to become the Ultimate Fighter Season 23 winner. In her 7 fight UFC career, she had already beaten former strawweight champions Carla Esparza and Jessica Andrade. Moreover, she also had a notable victory over current flyweight champion Alexa Grasso when Grasso was at strawweight.

Who will replace Tatiana Suarez at UFC 298?

Tatiana Suarez recently pulled out of her scheduled potential number-one contender fight against former title challenger Amanda Lemos at UFC 298. The UFC community was set abuzz with the news as Suarez already missed close to four years of her career due to injury and rehabilitation.

With Suarez out of UFC 298, the impetus for UFC is to find a replacement, and reports indicate that 8th-ranked strawweight Mackenzie Dern has stepped in to face Lemos. Both Lemos and Dern are coming off losses in their previous bouts. Lemos, ranked 4th in the division recently fought Zhang Weili at UFC 292 for the title but lost via unanimous decision.

Dern, on the other hand, is coming off a brutal KO loss to Jessica Andrade at UFC 295 and is 3-3 in her past 6 fights. Lemos is 2-2 in her last four and also has lost to Andrade via finish. Yan Xionan and Zhang Weili are fighting for the title at UFC 300 and a victory at UFC 298 would’ve put Suarez next in line for the title.

However, with Lemos and Dern both coming off losses, the victor might have to beat one more top contender to earn a title shot next. Weili has hinted interest in fighting for the flyweight title and if without a viable contender, might move up to become a double champion.

Tatiana Suarez shares injury update

Tatiana Suarez took to her Instagram to provide an update on why she won’t be fighting at UFC 298. She expressed her discomfort but assured fans that the injury she sustained was not major and that she would be back sooner rather than later. Nonetheless, she refused to reveal what minor injury she suffered to not give her potential opponents an advantage.

Suarez also revealed that she had asked the UFC to postpone the fight for a few weeks to heal and be in shape for the fight. However, the UFC did not accommodate the request and thus she was forced to withdraw from the fight. Moreover, she also provided an apology to Amanda Lemos for the withdrawal.

Nonetheless, Suarez mentioned that she is mentally focused and is determined to make a title run in 2024. Even though she is injured, she stated that she would not be staying idle as she would be exercising and even doing game planning by watching films of potential opponents. Upon return, Suarez might get to face the winner of Lemos vs. Dern or the loser of Weili vs. Xioanan.

Suarez’s boyfriend is Bellator bantamweight Patchy Mix who recently became the champion with a quick submission victory over former training partner Sergio Pettis, the younger brother of former UFC lightweight champion Anthony Pettis. Mix is part of Suarez’s training camp and the duo complement each other for their successful MMA career.

Do you think Tatiana Suarez will become a UFC champion? Leave your prediction below!