Saturday’s prelims kick off with major implications in the women’s strawweight division, as Tatiana Suarez faces Lupita “Loopy” Godinez at UFC 327 in Miami.
Suarez (12–1, 8–1 UFC), an American wrestler, rebounded from the first loss of her professional career — a defeat to then-champion Zhang Weili — with a unanimous decision victory over Amanda Lemos in September. Godinez (14–5, 9–5 UFC), a Mexican boxer, enters on a two-fight win streak, punctuated by a unanimous decision over Jessica Andrade on the scorecards last August.
Suarez enters as a -148 moneyline favorite on DraftKings Sportsbook, while Godinez sits as a +140 underdog. The total is set at 2.5 rounds.
Suarez vs. Godinez Preview
Tatiana Suarez (#2)
Tatiana Suarez hasn’t been deterred since suffering her first professional loss near the strawweight apex. After getting outclassed by former champion Zhang Weili, Suarez responded with an impressive unanimous decision win over Amanda Lemos in September. In that bout, she piled up more than nine minutes of control time — underscoring her suffocating wrestling.
Even at 35, the American southpaw remains one of the most formidable threats at 115 pounds. Suarez pairs an elite ground game with methodical striking, owning the division’s all-time records for significant strike accuracy (60.4%) and strikes absorbed per minute (1.65). On Saturday night, she’ll be looking to deliver another commanding performance that could push her back into the title conversation.
Loopy Godinez (#6)
Loopy Godinez is back on track after a difficult 2024, which saw her drop consecutive decisions to Virna Jandiroba and eventual champion Mackenzie Dern. She halted the skid in 2025 with a pair of unanimous-decision wins, beating Julia Polastri in March before taking out former champion Jessica Andrade in August.
While a skilled judo practitioner, Godinez, 32, is at her best when she’s pressing forward behind her polished boxing, bolstered by the top significant-strike defense among active women’s strawweights (64.3%). However, she has struggled against strong grapplers in the past; Godinez was repeatedly taken down in her losses to Dern and Jandiroba. Her path to victory is straightforward in theory, but executing it will be a different challenge entirely.
Suarez vs. Godinez Pick, Best Bet
Saturday’s contest presents Tatiana Suarez with a prime opportunity to re-enter the title picture. With a clear advantage on the ground, she should look to initiate early takedowns and smother Godinez with sustained control, neutralizing her ability to operate on the feet.
While Suarez should ultimately get her hand raised, it’s unlikely that her victory stems from a knockout. She has just one career knockout inside the Octagon, and Godinez has never been finished. If Suarez gets it done, it’s far more likely to come via decision or a flash submission amid the throttling grappling control.
