"I didn't feel tired at all" - Tatiana Suarez dispels concerns surrounding her cardio ahead of UFC 312 fight against Zhang Weili 

Tatiana Suarez dismissed concerns about her cardio ahead of her highly anticipated title fight against reigning UFC strawweight champion Zhang Weili.

Suarez is set to vie for the UFC gold against Weili at UFC 312 on Feb. 8 at Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. This fight will mark the undefeated fighter's return after more than a year and a half away from the octagon. However, she still earned a title shot due to her strong resume in the promotion.

Suarez's fans are concerned about her lack of experience in championship rounds and her cardio heading into the fight. Meanwhile, ‘Magnum,’ has consistently showcased her cardio strength throughout her career and has a wealth of experience fighting in the fourth and fifth rounds. This contrast has raised questions about how Suarez will handle the later stages of the fight, especially against a seasoned champion like Weili.

Speaking with Daniel Cormier, Suarez was asked about her cardio strength, referencing her fight with Nina Nunes, where many fans and pundits believed that she was extremely tired. The 34-year-old revealed that it wasn’t fatigue but a neck injury that hindered her performance in the last round. Suarez explained:

"I didn't feel tired at all. I just had a neck injury, so I felt like... to be honest with you, in the first two rounds, I was like, 'Okay, I got this.' Then in the third round, I was like, 'This really hurts.' It was messing with my head, and I thought maybe I could just do footwork around the cage. I literally thought that. I was like, 'Maybe I can just do footwork around and get by,' because my neck was hurting so bad. I was just thinking, 'Get through the last round, you already won the first two rounds.' It was like in wrestling when you don’t want to get taken down at the edge.”

Check out Tatiana Suarez’s comments below (8:04):

---

Tatiana Suarez talks about Zhang Weili as an opponent and vows to finish her ahead of UFC 312

In the aforementioned video, Tatiana Suarez talked about Zhang Weili, praising the strawweight champion’s work ethic. Suarez expressed confidence in her own skills and asserted that she would finish the Chinese fighter. Suarez stated:

"I think for her, you know, she has a strong work ethic, just like myself. You know, she’s really, really, like she works hard, you can tell. And, you know, she has a good gas tank. You know, she’s a very well-rounded fighter. But for me, I’m a finisher. So I’m going to go out there, and I’m going to finish her." [7:11]

Notably, Weili is coming into this contest with a four-fight win streak. She secured a unanimous decision win against Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300 in April last year.