Zhang Weili defends the UFC strawweight title against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in Australia

During the broadcast of the final UFC pay-per-view event of 2024, UFC 310, the next women’s strawweight title fight was announced: Zhang Weili will defend her title against Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in Australia.

Suarez has been viewed by a significant portion of the fan base as the heir apparent to the 115-pound throne for at least five years, with her freestyle wrestling background and undefeated record making her seem inevitable.

However, the former World Wrestling Championships medalist and Pan American Games and IBJJF Jiu-Jitsu World Championships gold medalist had years taken away from her career due to an injury.

Since returning to the UFC octagon in 2023, Suarez won a flyweight bout and a strawweight bout against former champion Jessica Andrade before another injury cost another year of her career.

The promotion attempted to schedule the American wrestler against BJJ expert Virna Jandiroba on the same card that this fight was announced on, UFC 310. After that fight was canceled, the UFC clearly chose this booking as champion Zhang Weili had no other Jandiroba had more candidates available.

Weili is a two-time women’s strawweight champion. She defended the belt once the first time around before losing to Rose Namajunas, but has since regained the belt and defended it twice.

The fierce Chinese champion defended her title the last two times against strikers Yan Xiaonan and Amanda Lemos, so Suarez presents a completely new challenge.

This fight will serve as the co-main event at UFC 312 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia on February 8, 2025. Dricus du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland will be the main event.