[UPDATE]
Following the original story, Tatiana Suarez released an Instagram post that included a written and video statement where she revealed that she will be undergoing knee surgery. You can view the post below.
[ORIGINAL STORY]
Tatiana Suarez was looking to make her highly-anticipated return to the Octagon at UFC 266 but as plans will be, plans will go awry.
Suarez was expected to do battle with Roxanne Modafferi in a women’s flyweight bout on Sept. 4. Carlos Contreras Legaspi of ESPN Deportes reports that this is no longer the case.
“Sources tell me Tatiana Suárez is out of her upcoming flyweight debut vs. Roxanne Modafferi due to injury. They were supposed to meet at UFC 266 but now the promotion is looking to reschedule the fight.”
The good news here is that the hope to reschedule the contest gives an indication that Suarez’s injury isn’t too serious. The last thing Suarez needs at this point is another lengthy setback. The 30-year-old hasn’t been seen in action since June 2019 due to lingering neck issues. She made use of physical therapy to avoid surgery.
Many believe that if Suarez stays healthy, she can give current UFC Women’s Flyweight Champion Valentina Shevchenko the best challenge. Up to this point, Shevchenko has been dominant and no one has come close to taking her 125-pound gold.
Suarez is undefeated in her pro MMA career with a record of 8-0. Her last bout against Nina Ansaroff wasn’t exactly a cakewalk but many were still impressed by her performance given it was just her eighth pro MMA fight.
Perhaps even more impressive was Suarez’s bout prior, when she scored a TKO finish over Carla Esparza, the former UFC Strawweight Champion. Esparza has since gone on a five-fight tear and has made a case to challenge Rose Namajunas for the 115-pound gold.
