There is still no clear timetable for the return of UFC strawweight Tatiana Suarez, despite her many efforts to return to competition.
During her UFC 238 bout against Nina Ansaroff, Tatiana Suarez experienced substantial pain in her neck, which partially immobilized her during the bout, and those neck issues have still not subsided to this day. In a recent interview, Suarez disclosed that she had cortisone and stem cell injections following the Ansaroff fight, but she still has not fully recovered. That said, Suarez did offer some good news on the status of her recovery as well:
“For a while, (my neck) felt worse after the injection, and it’s probably because they put a needle inside my spine,” Suarez told theScore recently. “It felt horrible for a while, but it’s getting better.”
Suarez went on to state that she will most likely receive a second MRI on her neck next month in order to determine if another cortisone shot is needed.
“Say I’m hitting mitts, and I do just one-arm stuff – say I throw a combination and it’s all left-arm stuff. It starts dropping, and it becomes really, really fatigued way easier than my other hand,” Suarez said. “That’s kind of an indication that it’s not firing like it’s supposed to. And when I do my strength and conditioning, I notice a difference on the left side with my arms.”
The worst-case scenario for Tatiana Suarez if additional cortisone shots do not work would be for the strawweight to undergo neck surgery. As she heals her neck on the sidelines, it is difficult for her to sit idly by and watch other strawweights jump ahead of her in the title queue, but that is no reason for her to return prematurely and put her long-term health at risk:
“Of course, I want to get in there and fight, but I just think it’s not very wise to jump in because with this type of injury, if I hurt it again – when nerves get agitated, it’s just horrible,” Suarez said. “I just don’t want to re-aggravate it and start the healing process all over again.”
If Tatiana Suarez is able to compete in the first half of 2020, whom would you like to see her compete against in her return fight?
