With Weili Zhang temporarily in another division, the Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight title picture could be wide open.Two-time champion Zhang surrendered her 115-pound title after defeating Tatiana Suarez at UFC 312 in early 2025. When she moved to challenge Valentina Shevchenko at flyweight, she left behind a throne that was later usurped by Mackenzie Dern after outpointing Virna Jandiroba. Suarez (11-1), in her second appearance since her first pro loss, was matched up against Lupita Godinez (14-5) at UFC 327. The two will clash on April 11 at the currently unconfirmed event likely to be held at the Kaseya Center in Miami, with news of the booking first reported by ufc_mma_wmma_wrestling on Instagram Wednesday evening.
A title shot could loom for the victor
Both ladies winning their last fight – Godinez is currently on a two-fight winning streak – takes this high-stakes affair to one that may offer a championship shot for the reigning woman. Suarez once battled for the strawweight throne, while Godinez has a history with champion Dern as the jiu-jitsu great handed Godinez her most previous defeat.Since dropping two to the aforementioned Dern and Jandiroba, Godinez has looked up, with a 2025 campaign that saw her hand raised twice. The woman from Mexico picked up decisive nods from Julia Polastri, and especially ex-champ Jessica Andrade, to put herself in a position to face the top-ranked Suarez. As a professional, ‘Loopy’ has heard the final bell in 16 of her 19 appearances.
While Suarez has gone all out in her last two matches, her finishing percentage is at a significantly higher 64%, compared to Godinez’s 21%. The only blemish in Suarez’s career came against Zhang, with the California native winning her first ten professional bouts. She also defeated Andrade on her way up, while also picking up wins over elite names like Alexa Grasso and Carla Esparza.
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