Weili Zhang Vs. Tatiana Suarez Predictions – ‘She Submits Her Or Gets A TKO'

Weili Zhang takes on Tatiana Suarez in their strawweight title fight at UFC 312 this weekend, as MMA pros gave their predictions. 

The fight takes place on the co-main event of Dricus Du Plessis vs. Sean Strickland. Zhang enters the fight as the champion. She will make the third defense of her title after having picked up the belt against Carla Esparza at UFC 281. She submitted Esparza in the second round in a dominant performance. Successful title defenses followed against Amanda Lemos and Yan Xiaonan, respectively.

Saurez will prove to be a tough competitor. She is undefeated with a 7-0 record. She has stopped her last two opponents via submissions, showing she can end the fight inside the distance. But her last fight was all the way back in August 2023, with a win over Jessica Andrade. The lack of activity could prove crucial as she has only fought three times since 2019. Her injury record did not help, but a title could change all that.

Pre-Fight Talk

"I think Tatiana is very different from all my other opponents because my other opponents are not as high level in wrestling and grappling as Tatiana. So fighting Tatiana actually makes me more focused on my wrestling and grappling and makes me a better fighter. This pressure became my motivation and makes me a better fighter," Zhang said 

"She’s very aggressive with people that cannot take that, and I can take it and give it back too, so I feel like it makes for a good fight. She’s not going to bully me around the cage, I’ll tell you that. So we’re going to go out there, it’s going to be a great fight and it’s going to steal the show," Suarez stated 

Here is how MMA insiders saw the fight playing out. 

Predictions

"I think Tatiana Suarez will become the new champ. She is so dominant with her wrestling and will be able to get Weili down, and I think she can finish her, too," Modestas Bukauskas (UFC light heavyweight).

"I think Weili gets it done. I think she will win the final three rounds to win a decision," Geoff Neal (UFC welterweight).

"Tatiana, I think she can finish Zhang. She is so strong and dominant, and I think she takes Zhang down and submits her or gets a TKO," Vince Morales (UFC bantamweight).

"Tatiana Suarez by submission or ground-and-pound TKO. She seems destined to be a champ," Steve Garcia (UFC featherweight).

"That is a good one because Zhang is so good and tough to beat. But, I think Tatiana will be able to get it to the ground and get the win," Kody Steele (UFC lightweight).

"I’m gonna go with Tatiana Suarez. I feel like her strength will be too much for Zhang, and we get a new champion in Australia," Youssef Zalal (UFC featherweight).

Full Card

Derek Chisora vs Otto Wallin (heavyweight)

Zach Parker vs Willy Hutchinson (light-heavyweight)

Masood Abdulah vs Zak Miller (featherweight)

Jack Rafferty vs Reece MacMillan (super-lightweight)

Nathan Heaney vs Sofiane Khati (middleweight)

Nelson Hysa vs Todorche Cvetkov (heavyweight)

Walter Fury vs Joe Hardy (super-welterweight)

Joe Cooper vs Artjom Spatar (middleweight)

Lewis Williams vs Cristian Uwaka (heavyweight)

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