(This story was updated to add new information.)
Not so fast?
After it was reported that the UFC’s year-end pay-per-view event took a hit with the removal of Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba, Suarez has spoken out.
X user MMA Melotto reported Monday that Suarez suffered an injury to force her out of the UFC 310 matchup on Dec. 7 in Las Vegas. A person with knowledge of the situation subsequently confirmed the news to MMA Junkie.
Within hours, though, Suarez responded to a post on X account Women’s MMA Rankings asking why the injury news was being reported. While she disputed the injury, she did not address whether or not her fight with Jandiroba is off.
“I did not get injured. I’m curious where you heard this. Why would you put this out there?” Suarez wrote.
The fight between Suarez and Jandiroba, who are ranked No. 1 and No. 3 in the strawweight division, respectively, has been widely viewed as a title eliminator to determine the next challenger for champion Zhang Weili, who hasn’t fought since beating Yan Xiaonan this past April at UFC 300.
Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC), who hasn’t lost as a professional, most recently competed in August 2023 when she submitted former champion Jessica Andrade. Her other notable UFC wins include former champions Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso. Suarez’s career has been riddled with injuries, which kept her out of action for three-and-a-half years before she returned in February 2023.
Jandiroba (21-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC), a former Invicta FC champ, is on a four-fight winning streak after consecutive victories over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, Loopy Godinez, and a Submission of the Year candidate armbar against Amanda Lemos in July.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
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