Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez Preview
Weili Zhang defends her UFC Strawweight championship against the undefeated Tatiana Suarez on February 9th in Sydney, Australia. This co-main event looks like a potential show stealer with the main card kicking off at 3:00 am.
Tatiana has made quick work of two opponents after returning from a three-and-a-half-year hiatus and has her eyes set on the gold in the strawweight division. However, she has to get through her toughest opponent yet. Zhang has already established herself as one of the best female fighters in MMA history. Can Suarez continue her undefeated record and claim the gold, or will Zhang show her the levels between champion and challenger?
Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez Predictions
Fight prediction: Tatiana Suarez via submission
This fight is extremely tough to call. Both fighters are excellent in their own right and bring differing qualities. Weili Zhang is a high-level striker and has the edge there. Her power and precision are second to none in the division. Her boxing technique and kicks provide her with tools to control the distance and her cardio and conditioning helps her break opponents down. She is also an adept grappler, making her a well-rounded threat. She will want to pressure Tatiana Suarez from the opening bell as aggression is a key component of her game.
Suarez is just as aggressive, but the means justify the end differently. Her game is built around world-class grappling skills. Zhang has the edge in the standup, but Suarez is a considerably stronger grappler. Her ability to hold her opponent down is exceptional, and she rarely fails to make use of her control time. She is tied with Zhang (25) for the most takedowns in UFC strawweight history but has got there in four fewer fights. In an age where wrestling has become more important, especially when judging fights, we have to give the edge to Tatiana Suarez here. Our MMA prediction is for a new champion to be crowned in Sydney.
This fight presents a classic striker vs grappler dynamic. Zhang’s challenge will be to keep the fight standing. She is a good offensive grappler, but Suarez is a different beast. This is not a contest where she will be hunting for takedowns and may be on her back a lot more than she is used to. Her takedown defence needs work sitting at 50%, with most of those coming against fighters who have nowhere near the wrestling pedigree that Suarez boasts.
The battle for control is hard to call. Zhang’s cardio is exceptional, and she is constantly in her opponent’s face. Suarez is excellent at closing the distance before performing level-changing takedowns. Zhang has to be aggressive enough to make takedown entries as difficult as possible for Suarez, which is far easier said than done.
The challenger will use her feints and kicks to push Zhang back and counter her aggression. Zhang also has a tendency to whiff big swings, which would be a huge mistake against a world-class wrestler. Suarez is good enough to draw mistakes out of her pounce on them with takedowns. Once she has her down, she can drown the champion with her strength before laying on vicious ground and pound or hunting for a submission.
The biggest risk for Suarez is being tagged on entries. Zhang will have to be aware of the risk of takedowns and with her defence leaving much to be desired, her best bet would be to counter with strikes. Make no mistake that Suarez is an incredible wrestler, but her MMA experience is not that of Zhang’s. She can also be sloppy with her entries. She also leaves her hands down on the break.
Zhang is the better striker and Suarez has to be cleverer with her takedown attempts against a fighter of Weili Zhang’s calibre. Suarez must also be careful of fatigue. We predict she will dominate the ground, but the American fighter must find a finish. Zhang could pull Suarez into deep water if the fight enters the championship rounds.
Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez Fight Outcome
This will be one of the most fascinating fights we see this year. Both women bring world-class skill sets in different disciplines. Zhang is a champion for a reason, and we do not expect Suarez to walk through her. She will have to earn this victory. However, she has been such a dominant grappler in the strawweight division and we see too many holes in Zhang’s ground defence.
Suarez will pressure the champion using her reach advantage, pushing her against the cage before looking for clinches and single or double legs. Everything is in Suarez’s favour when the fight hits the ground. The champ will use her patented side kicks to keep her back, but she must be more disciplined with her big strikes. This is one of the tightest fights to call in recent times, but Suarez’s reach advantage and superior grappling will help her take home the title.
Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez Betting Tips
Fight Result
The UFC betting market has almost nothing between these fighters. Tatiana Suarez is a slim favourite, worth 17/20. She is undefeated in her MMA career and has already proven to be the best grappler in the division. A €10 stake on the challenger returns €8.50.
Weili Zhang is worth 10/11 with our online bookmaker. Suarez is an incredible talent but there is no doubt that Zhang has the edge in standup and has the tools to finish it there. A €10 bet on the champion returns €9.10.
Method of Victory
Tatiana Suarez has finished all but three of her opponents in her undefeated career. She is currently riding a streak of two fights won via submission, and we think she can make it three here. Zhang is too susceptible to takedowns and once Suarez has her on the mat, the challenger has a multitude of tools at her behest that can end fights. We like a bet on Suarez to win via submission, worth 5/2.
Still !
Tatiana Suarez defeats Jessica Andrade via Guillotine Choke #UFCNashville pic.twitter.com/zk6KjoWnZA
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) August 6, 2023
Another play could be a double chance on Weili Zhang. We have seen Suarez fatigue from her wrestling in the past and is yet to fight in a championship round. Zhang has crazy power for a strawweight and incredible cardio. If this fight reaches a fourth round, the odds swing in Zhang’s favour. A double chance bet on Zhang to win via KO/TKO or decision is worth 11/10 for anyone betting on MMA.
Live Betting
Live betting is also an option for this fight. This looks incredibly tight on paper and we will learn a lot in the opening round. Wait for the fight to start and assess the game plan for both women before you place your bets.
Weili Zhang vs Tatiana Suarez Head-To-Head and Key Stats
Weili Zhang made her UFC debut in August 2018 after dominating around Asia in Kunlun Fight MMA. She wasted no time in her hunt for gold, earning three wins from three within seven months before contesting for her first world title barely a year after her debut. Zhang won incredibly, knocking out Jessica Andrade in 42 seconds to become the first-ever Asian female UFC champion. She completed her first defence against Joanna Jędrzejczyk in one of the greatest fights of all time, before losing in back-to-back fights against Rose Namajunas.
Zhang bounced back by defeating Jędrzejczyk again, this time via a spectacular spinning backfist. Magnum then defeated Carla Esparza to become a two-time UFC world strawweight champion. She has defended her title twice since, most recently, against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 in a landmark fight.
Zhang stands at 5’3” with a 63” reach, making her around average size at strawweight. She enters this fight with a record of 25-3 with 11 knockout victories, eight by submission and six via decision. Magnum has only been finished once in her career. She is known for her excellent cardio and power and has recently improved her grappling abilities.
Tatiana Suarez’s journey to the UFC is incredible. The American was training for the 2012 Summer Olympics as a freestyle wrestler when a neck injury derailed her Olympic aspirations. An MRI and CAT scan not only revealed a bothersome disc in her neck, but a cancerous growth on her thyroid. After successful treatment, Suarez turned to MMA, and the rest is history.
She made her debut in 2014 and won three fights on the California regional scene before being noticed by UFC president Dana White. He signed her to appear on the Ultimate Fighter 23, where she would defeat Amanda Cooper in the final. She won her next four fights, including finishes over Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza, but then took a three-and-a-half-year hiatus. Suarez has returned better than ever, defeating Montana De La Rosa and Jessica Andrade via submission in her previous two fights.
Jul8.2016
Tatiana Suarez finishes Amanda Cooper with a D’Arce choke,
to win Season 23 of the Ultimate Fighter pic.twitter.com/pYqcmRfM49
— MMA History Today (@MMAHistoryToday) July 9, 2020
Suarez will have a three-inch reach advantage in this fight at 66” and she stands at 5’5”. She enters this fight undefeated with a record of 10-0 with five wins by submission, two by knockout and two via decision. The American is a world-class grappler with medals in the World Wrestling Championships, World Cup, and Pan American Championships. She also boasts a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
