Little did anyone know, however, that Suarez (10-0), a native of Covina, California, who was a 2012 Olympic hopeful in the sport of wrestling, would need to wait an additional nine years in order to finally be healthy enough to take her shot at championship glory.

They often call UFC athletes "fighters," but in the case of UFC 312's title challenger Tatiana Suarez, she's been fighting her entire career.

The undefeated Covina native, having overcome cancer and myriad injuries, takes on the two-time strawweight champ in Saturday’s co-main event in Sydney.