Virna Jandiroba and Tatiana Suarez meet in the UFC Fight Night 293 co-feature at the Meta APEX in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
- Last event's results: 3-2
- UFC main cards, 2026: 122-76-1
Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez UFC Fight Night 293 preview
Jandiroba (23-4 MMA, 9-4 UFC) fought for the vacant title last October, but came up short against Mackenzie Dern. She bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Tabahta Ricci in April.
Suarez (12-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) had her title chance in February 2025, but also lost to then-champion Zhang Weili. She has since defeated Amanda Lemos by decision and Loopy Godinez by submission.
Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez UFC Fight Night 293 expert pick, prediction
The co-main event on Paramount+ features an important fight for the strawweight division between Virna Jandiroba and Tatiana Suarez.
Both Jandiroba and Suarez have already had title shots
semi-recently, but between their recent wins and the division being wide open, the victor here could determine the next challenger for Dern.
I've long been a big fan of Suarez, but I believe that Jandiroba, once again, is being overlooked and written off prematurely.
Suarez may have spent a majority of her career being dubbed "the female Khabib," but some styles don't age as gracefully as others in MMA. Say what you will about Jandiroba's janky striking and unassuming demeanor, but her style is very effective and has never relied on speed, athletic superiority, or an aura of invincibility. Whereas Suarez, who will be 36 next month, has arguably shown a regression in her wrestling in recent years and may be closer to a Sara McMann career arc than to a career comeback.
Moreover, I also noticed that Suarez, who holds a surprisingly low takedown defense rate that's actually closer to a 25 percent success rate if you actually watch the tape, has seldom faced opposition that is actually trying to take her down.
Not only does Jandiroba have an underrated and flexible wrestling process that's reminiscent of Demian Maia, but "Cacara" will also be the best MMA grappler and submission artist Suarez has faced to date.
Styles make fights, and unless Suarez dictates positions and finally shows off the striking she's been focusing on, then I suspect that her headfirst grappling sensibilities end up costing her positions and possibly limbs alike against a grappler like Jandiroba in the small cage.
This fight has all the Ben Askren vs. Maia feels attached, so I'm going to take a flier on Jandiroba to snatch up a submission by the end of Round 3.
Watch UFC Fight Night 293 with Paramount+
Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez UFC Fight Night 293 odds
The oddsmakers and the public favor the American fighter, listing Suarez -210 and Jandiroba +168 via FanDuel.
Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez UFC Fight Night 293 start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Jandiroba and Suarez are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 10:15 p.m. ET. The fight streams live on Paramount+.
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Virna Jandiroba vs. Tatiana Suarez prediction, pick, start time, odds for UFC Fight Night 293
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