Suarez Grinds Past Jandiroba At UFC Vegas 124

Tatiana Suarez wrestled her way to a unanimous decision over Virna Jandiroba in the UFC Vegas 124 co-main event Saturday night at the UFC Meta APEX in Las Vegas.

The judges scored the strawweight bout 30-27, 30-27, and 29-28 for Suarez, who improved her record to 12-1 with her third consecutive victory. The win keeps her in title contention after she lost to Weili Zhang in a championship fight last year.

Jandiroba Defends Takedowns Early Before Suarez Takes Over

Jandiroba frustrated Suarez through much of the first round, denying multiple takedown attempts and landing the fight's only successful trip just before the horn. As MMA Fighting reported, Suarez looked awkward on the feet and struggled to implement her grappling early. The Brazilian opened the second round with a stiff right hand, but Suarez answered with a knee from the clinch and eventually dragged Jandiroba to the canvas late in the frame. Jandiroba locked in a kneebar as time expired, though she had no chance to finish.

Suarez secured another takedown midway through the final round and controlled position from top, landing short strikes and shutting down two more kneebar attempts from Jandiroba. Per BJ Penn's report, Suarez worked from half guard and adjusted when Jandiroba tried to scramble out the back door.

"I feel like it was a good matchup," Suarez said afterward, according to MMA Fighting. "She's excellent on the ground. I had a lot of fun out there. I want that belt. I look forward to the challenge."

Jandiroba dropped to 23-4 after rebounding from an October title loss to Mackenzie Dern with a decision win over Tabatha Ricci in April. Suarez could face champion Dern in 2027 if the UFC books that matchup.

Reported via:

• MMA Fighting — UFC Vegas 124 results: Tatiana Suarez grinds her way to decision win over Virna Jandiroba
• MMA Fighting — UFC Vegas 124 live blog: Tatiana Suarez vs. Virna Jandiroba
• BJPenn — UFC Vegas 124 Results: Tatiana Suarez defeats Virna Jandiroba (Highlights)