Tatiana Suarez made a triumphant return to the Octagon after a three-and-a-half year layoff tonight at UFC Fight Night 220 with a second round submission finish over Montana De La Rosa.
Round One:
De La Rosa with a light flurry of punches to start. Suarez with a strike of her own and then is straight into the clinch position and works De La Rosa over to the cage as she looks for a takedown.
De La Rosa thinks about a guillotine but doesn’t commit to it. Suarez working hard for the takedown here and gets it, then adjusts her position to ensure she stays on top in her opponent’s guard.
Suarez looking to move right over to mount but not quite able to pass over the legs. De La Rosa gives up her back and looks to stand. Suarez on her back and maintaining her balance from a slightly awkward spot, but then they end up both on their feet with Suarez pressing De La Rosa into the cage.
A few light punches and knees exchanged as Suarez works hard to set up another takedown attempt. For now De La Rosa stays upright though.
Suarez looked set up to work for another takedown in the final 10 seconds of the round, but instead opts to just land a few punches to the thigh.
Round Two:
Suarez attempting a couple of side kicks but De La Rosa catches one and almost takes her down from that.
Suarez clinches up now in the center of the Octagon and attempts to work De La Rosa over to the cage. De La Rosa doing well to stop that for the time being and tries to let some punches go, but Suarez then does go for the takedown and lands it in the center of the Octagon.
De La Rosa trying to get her legs up and try to stet up a submission, but Suarez is now concerned by that and manages to pass to side control.
De La Rosa turns onto her knees and is looking to stand as Suarez is moving around to her back. De La Rosa drives her way back to her feet and presses Suarez into the cage.
Suarez moving back away from the cage though and is now working for a guillotine choke. She pulls guard with the choke and it looks tight, but De La Rosa isn’t tapping. Suarez adjusts her position and is cranking hard on this and there’s no way out for De La Rosa, who is forced to tap out at 2.51mins of the second round.
