Tatiana Suarez

Tatiana Yadira Suarez Padilla, known professionally as Tatiana Suarez, is an American mixed martial artist who competes in the women's strawweight division of the UFC.

Suarez grew up in Southern California, where she began wrestling as a young child and developed into one of the most accomplished female wrestlers of her generation. A promising bid for the U.S. Olympic wrestling team was cut short after she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer; following treatment and recovery, she redirected her competitive drive toward Brazilian jiu-jitsu and mixed martial arts. She turned professional and quickly rose to prominence by winning the strawweight tournament on The Ultimate Fighter, earning a spot on the UFC roster. She has trained out of Millennia MMA in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Suarez's amateur wrestling resume remains one of the most decorated in the sport: a two-time National High School Wrestler of the Year, an international medalist at the Pan American and World Championships, and a member of Lindenwood University's inaugural women's wrestling team.

That pedigree translates directly into her fighting style. Suarez is renowned for suffocating, high-volume wrestling and top control, using elite takedowns and relentless positional pressure to neutralize opponents before hunting for the finish. Her ground game, anchored by a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has produced numerous submission victories via chokes and armbars, making her one of the more dangerous grapplers in the division once a fight hits the mat.

Her UFC tenure includes victories over former strawweight champions Carla Esparza and Alexa Grasso, as well as a submission win over hard-hitting contender Jessica Andrade. She went on to challenge Zhang Weili

Stats last updated: September 16, 2026