Under The Radar: Carla Esparza vs Tatiana Suarez
By Eduardo Ramon
UFC 228 will see two champions defend their belts, one going for his 4th overall defence and another attempting to legitimize her spot as champion with her very first defence.
While the undercard is filled to the brim with top talents such as Jessica Andrade, Jimmie Rivera, & Aljamain Sterling. Of course we always have fights that are criminally overlooked and this week’s pick is former female strawweight champion Carla Esparza vs the recent standout Tatiana Suarez.
Esparza (14-5) the winner of The Ultimate Fighter season 20, and the UFC’s first ever Strawweight champion, has been on somewhat of a stint as of late, currently on a 2 fight losing streak. That being said, Esparza is no pushover, holding wins over competitors such as Cynthia Calvillo, and current strawweight champion Rose Namajunas.
The undefeated Tatiana Suarez (6-0) is one of, if not the most highly praised prospects in the Strawweight division. Holding wins over Amanda Bobby Cooper, Viviane Pereira, and most recently submitting Alexa Grasso via rear naked choke in the first round. Suarez has been nicknamed the “female Khabib” as her style is very similar to the Lightweight champion. All 6 of her professional wins have seen her dominate her opponents mainly on the ground due to her high level grappling skills and tenacity.
UFC 228 will take place on September 8th, Dallas, Texas inside the American Airlines Center.
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