Strawweight contender Tatiana Suarez has hit another snag, withdrawing from a UFC 298 matchup against Amanda Lemos due to injury.
OC Register on Tuesday reported Mackenzie Dern is set to step in against Lemos for the Feb. 17 event at Honda Center in Anaheim, Calif. A UFC official subsequently confirmed the shift to MMA Fighting.
The Suarez vs. Lemos fight was expected to headline the ESPN/ESPN+ portion of the prelims for UFC 298; Lemos vs. Dern is likely to keep the same spot.
Suarez, The Ultimate Fighter 23 winner, burst back onto the MMA scene this past February after a four-year layoff due to injuries. She submitted Montana De La Rosa in her comeback fight and went on to submit ex-champ Jessica Andrade in her most recent outing, which took place at UFC Nashville. The performances helped her claim the No. 2 strawweight spot in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings, and a win over recent title challenger Lemos promised a title shot.
Dern, the No. 9 fighter, could use a bump after a TKO loss to Andrade in her most recent outing at UFC 295. The grappling ace turned MMA fighter has bounced between wins and losses in her past six outings.
UFC 298 is headlined by a featherweight title fight between champ Alexander Volkanovski and Ilia Topuria.
