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Tatiana Suarez is on her way towards recovery, but she is in no hurry to return to the Octagon before she is fully and completely fit.
A top-ranked Strawweight contender, Suarez was forced out of the scene following her decision-win over Nina Ansaroff at UFC 238 back in June. She was just being considered for a title shot when a pre-fight neck injury started to cause trouble and compelled her to take some time away from competitive action.
In a recent interview with The Score, she shared details about her recovery process and also about her plans of returning to the Octagon.
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Neck injury still needs time
It has been six months since the injury was diagnosed and Suarez says she is yet to completely recover from it. Her entire neck was affected by the injury, including the C4, C5, C6, C7, and T1 vertebrae. She has undergone cortisone shot treatment as well as stem cell infusion, along with continuous physical therapy.
"Basically, I had a cortisone shot. Then I had stem cells injected, as well. For a while, it felt worse after the injection. It’s probably because they put a needle inside my spine. It felt horrible for a while, but it’s getting better."
However, Suarez feels like she might need to get another cortisone shot, but it can only be said after doing another MRI. For now, she is giving the injury time to recover.
Tatiana Suarez: It's not very wise to jump in
When it comes to fighting again, Suarez is quite clear about her stand - she is in no rush to do so. For her, health is a bigger priority right now.
"Of course I want to get in there and fight. I just think it’s not very wise to jump in. With this type of injury, if I hurt it again?...I just don’t want to re-aggravate it and start the healing process all over again. I think a lot of times people do that. They want to jump in there, and then they re-injure themselves. Then, instead of being out nine months or something, they’re out two years."
After her last fight, there were serious considerations of her going for the title next. But she was forced out and the Strawweight scene has changed ever since. The title has changed hands and is now held by Zhang Weili. Other contenders like Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Rose Namajunas are breathing down her neck. Given all that, Suarez, who is yet to be defeated in the Octagon, understands that she will have to fight her way up there again, and she is okay with that.
"I did believe if I was healthy after my last fight, I could have potentially got the title shot. Because I wasn’t, that (has) obviously passed. But the division is moving, so I’m not sitting here saying that I’m going to jump the line ahead of other people that I believe deserve to be fighting for the title. I know there’s a lot of girls gunning for the title. So whoever I need to beat, that’s fine. I’ll fight them. Then, onto the next one after that."
Credit to MMA Junkie for the quotes.
