Tatiana Suarez empathizes with Rose Namajunas, willing to wait if she wants title rematch

CHICAGO – Tatiana Suarez asked for a fight at flyweight when opponents in her own weight class weren’t forthcoming.

Undefeated seven fights into her career, Suarez doesn’t want anything to stand in the way of forward motion. A fight against Nina Ansaroff on Saturday at UFC 238 could provide the bridge to a title shot at strawweight.

Or it could be the catalyst for a division switch.

Suarez (7-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) respects Rose Namajunas so much, she’d sooner move up in weight than cut in front of the former champion. If an immediate rematch with current titleholder Jessica Andrade is on tap, Suarez will take on other opponents.

“If she wants that rematch, I think she deserves it,” Suarez told MMA Junkie on Wednesday in advance of the UFC 238 pay-per-view at United Center. “I’ll wait. I don’t mind. I’ll fight whoever. I’ve never turned down any of the fights they’ve given to me.”

Namajunas was beating Andrade in the first round of her title defense last month at UFC 237. Then Andrade picked up the champ and slammed her on her head, knocking her out.

So far, an immediate rematch has not been proposed. It’s unclear whether Namajunas will even continue fighting after such a heartbreaking loss that caused her to question her future. Suarez empathizes with the ex-champ’s position.

“I think she’s an amazing fighter,” Suarez said. “I love watching Rose fight. She’s truly a great mixed martial artist, and I hope she does stay, because I think she’s a really amazing fighter. But if her heart’s not in it, we won’t see the same Rose Namajunas.

“These camps, and this sport is really difficult. People don’t understand. They can say whatever they want on social media, but they don’t know what it’s like to live this life. It’s a very tough one. A lot of your relationships, it takes its toll on your relationships, your family life. It’s all about fighting all the time, whether or not it’s physically. She’s been doing this for 10 years, so ultimately she’s a veteran. That’s why she’s so great. That’s why she was a champion.”

Suarez’s coaches say she’ll need to put on muscle if she wants to compete in the flyweight division, where veteran competitors far outsize her walking weight of 129 pounds. There’s no rush, however. She’ll take on Ansaroff and expect to dominate the fight.

“I just think I’m going to overwhelm her from start to finish,” Suarez said.

Watch our full exclusive interview above to hear Suarez’s thoughts on her career, the strawweight title picture and her fight with Ansaroff.

For more on UFC 238, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.