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Tatiana Suarez is taking her first loss in stride.
Suarez competed in her first UFC title fight this past Saturday at UFC 312 and was on the wrong end of a dominant unanimous decision to champion Zhang Weili. The co-main event saw Suarez win the first round on all three judges’ scorecards before Zhang took over and never looked back.
On Tuesday, the 34-year-old Suarez released her first statement on social media to address the loss.
“‘Champions don’t show up to get everything they want; they show up to give everything they have.’ And that’s what I’ll do every single time. No matter what,” Suarez wrote. “I love it all. Win, lose or draw, I’m right where I want to be. Doing what I love to do every single day of my life. I have the best people around me that love me for me. Living the dream! It’s all about the right mindset and life has taught me time and time again. I’ve experienced it all thrill, agony, happiness, heartbreak.
“That’s what life is all about. I’m blessed to have this life. And I’ll share these experiences with my children and the future generations to come. Thank you to my friends, family, teammates, coaches and fiancé for being there every single time no matter what. Love you guys! On to the next!”
Suarez returned to the octagon for the first time since an August 2023 submission win over Jessica Andrade at UFC Nashville and saw her 10-fight win streak come to an end. Suarez has overcome tremendous adversity throughout her life and career, including returning from countless injuries and layoffs.
Zhang successfully defended her title for the third time in this second reign as champion, which also includes lopsided decision victories against Amanda Lemos at UFC 292 and Yan Xiaonan at UFC 300.
