Suarez Eyes Dern Title Shot if She Beats Jandiroba in UFC Vegas 124 Co-Main Event

Tatiana Suarez has made her intentions clear ahead of UFC Vegas 124: beat Virna Jandiroba on Saturday night, then fight Mackenzie Dern for the strawweight title. The American contender faces Jandiroba in the co-main event of the card at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, and she told reporters this week that a victory should put her next in line for championship gold. Dern holds the strawweight crown after a dominant decision win over Gillian Robertson at UFC 330 in August, and Suarez sees herself as the natural next challenger if she gets her hand raised this weekend. The matchup with Jandiroba is a stern test in its own right, with both women ranked among the division's best and a title opportunity realistically on the line for the winner. Suarez has long been tipped as a future champion, but injuries and long layoffs have repeatedly stalled her rise through the division. A convincing win over Jandiroba would be the clearest statement yet that she is ready for the belt. The main card streams on Paramount Plus at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday, with the prelims starting at 5 p.m. ET, and the winner of the co-main event will have a strong claim on the next strawweight title fight.