A victorious Suarez suffered a neck injury during the bout and has had some cortisone shots to help with the problem, but further testing may be needed.
?Basically, I had a cortisone shot,? Suarez said to James Lynch of The Score (via Nolan King of MMA Junkie). ?Then I had stem cells injected, as well. For a while, it felt worse after the injection. It?s probably because they put a needle inside my spine. It felt horrible for a while, but it?s getting better. I definitely feel like it?s getting better, (but) I definitely noticed that I probably need to get another cortisone shot. We?re going to do another MRI, but the last one showed it wasn?t cleared yet. My nerve wasn?t cleared yet. So what they want to do is give it some time.. .. We?re going to do an MRI first, and if it?s not clear, we?re going to do another shot ? probably, next month.?
Depending on how much longer that Suarez is out of action for, it could be the longest gap between fights in her professional MMA career.
Suarez wants to fight as soon as possible, but the fighter knows that she needs to let the injury heal itself so it doesn?t get aggravated again.
?Of course I want to get in there and fight,? Suarez said. ?I just think it?s not very wise to jump in. With this type of injury, if I hurt it again? I just don?t want to re-aggravate it and start the healing process all over again. I think a lot of times people do that. They want to jump in there, and then they re-injure themselves. Then, instead of being out nine months or something, they?re out two years.?
The fighter is still ranked #3 in the UFC Women?s Strawweight Division, with Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas being the only fighters ranked ahead of her.