- Tatiana Suarez thinks Rose Namajunas should’ve done a lot better in the Carla Esparza fight
- The 31-year-old is confident Islam Makhachev has what it takes to be a UFC champion
As she eyes for her long-awaited return, Tatiana Suarez found time to share her thoughts about some of the latest and most interesting topics in the UFC.
Rose could’ve walked away with a win
In a recent appearance on The Schomozone podcast, Suarez, like many of us, admitted that she was baffled by how the judges managed to determine the winner in the lackluster women’s strawweight title fight between Rose Namajunas and Carla Esparza.
Being the last fighter to beat “Cookie Monster,” Suarez is certain “Thug” could’ve pulled it off had she relied on her grappling.
“I was very surprised at how little she did,” Suarez said of Namajunas’ performance. “Like she was just so scared of the wrestling, and I honestly don’t think that Carla is that much better in that department than Rose. So I felt like Rose could have grappled with her a lot more, and it would have been fine.”
“I felt like she could have beat her in that department,” she assessed. “She fought Weili Zhang, and she grappled with her a lot during the fight, and she did well. So I was very surprised that she didn’t just try and grapple more. Like, why not go on the ground? Like, why not?”
“I don’t really know if she really beat her,” she added. “I don’t even know what that was. I’m still trying to process it. … It was like the battle of the feints out there. How do you even score that fight?”
No one can beat Islam
Islam Makhachev has one of the most impressive winning streaks in the UFC right now with 10. Many believe that the Dagestani fighter is ready to fight for the title but for Suarez, Makhachev has proven that he’s already a soon-to-be UFC champ.
“He’s [Makhachev] gonna be champ, that’s who I think is gonna be champ,” Suarez predicted. “I don’t think anybody is gonna beat him. I think his grappling – there’s not many people that I watch, where I watch their grappling and think, this is exactly what I do. And he’s actually one of those grapplers. … While I’m watching the grappling, I’m impressed with every step they’re doing. I know that once they get those positions, they’re gonna be fine. He’s really good at that.”
“I don’t even think Beneil [Dariush] has a chance against him,” she speculated. “I mean, well I’ve seen them both go, I’ve seen them both fight, I’ve seen them both grapple.”
Suarez hasn’t fought since 2019 but she’s planning to make a comeback soon. She currently competes at the strawweight division but is open to making a return to flyweight.
