5 AMANDA LEMOS FIGHTS TO WATCH PRIOR TO UFC 292
If you don't know who Amanda Lemos is, here's why you should be watching UFC 292 this weekend when she challenges Zhang Weili for the strawweight title.
The 36-year-old Brazilian contender has put on an incredible performance in nine UFC appearances, finishing five of her victories to tie former champions Jessica Andrade and Rose Namajunas for the most in strawweight history. Her three TKO victories are also tied for the most in UFC history with Andrade, and Lemos has the most knockdowns in strawweight history.
What I'm trying to say is that Lemos is one of the hardest hitting and most dangerous fighters in the strawweight division.
Check out these five Lemos performances that helped her get a championship chance at UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley.
Amanda Lemos vs Miranda Granger
UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs The Korean Zombie – December 21, 2019
Lemos' strawweight debut was a foreshadowing of things to come, as she demonstrated incredible power and a well-rounded game designed to finish a bout regardless of the circumstances.
Miranda Granger seized Lemos' leg late in the first round, and Lemos moved her way to Granger's back and locked in a rear naked choke. The choke didn't appear to be completely tucked under Granger's chin, but it did the trick in a matter of seconds.
Amanda Lemos vs Livinha Souza
UFC 259: Blachowicz vs Adesanya – March 6, 2021
This is the battle that propelled Lemos into the strawweight division. Lemos dominated Livinha Souza for practically the entire first round. As Lemos chased and felled Souza early in the fight, she had her back to the Octagon. That was just a taste of what was to come at the end of the round, when Lemos connected with a lightning-quick left-hand that knocked Souza out for good.
Amanda Lemos vs Montserrat Conejo Ruiz
UFC Fight Night: Makhachev vs Moises – July 17, 2021
Following her strong victory against Souza, Lemos stunned Montserrat Ruiz in 35 seconds.
When Ruiz was pushing forward, Lemos caught him with a check hook. Lemos blasted Ruiz with a three-punch combo that sent her sliding to the floor as she crawled toward the Octagon. The referee stepped in to prevent Lemos from inflicting further harm on Ruiz. The knockout victory was the fourth in UFC strawweight history.
Amanda Lemos vs Michelle Waterson-Gomez
UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs Rodriguez – July 16, 2022
In her UFC Fight Night: Ortega vs. Rodriguez matchup with veteran Michelle Waterson-Gomez, Lemos recognized a great opportunity and seized it.
Lemos jumped a guillotine choke and took Waterson-Gomez to the ground in the second round. She squeezed and then burst into laughter. Waterson-Gomez had tapped, but it was so quick and disguised that the stoppage felt unusual, but the playback showed that the choke was so tight that Waterson-Gomez had tapped on the opposite side of the referee.
Beating Waterson-Gomez signified that Lemos was ready to face the division's top contenders next.
Amanda Lemos vs Marina Rodriguez
UFC Fight Night: Rodriguez vs Lemos – November 5, 2022
Fans were ecstatic when the main event bout between Lemos and Marina Rodriguez was announced, and for good cause.
Both Brazilians are noted for their striking abilities as well as their fast-paced, aggressive fighting styles. They brought it during the first two rounds of the fight, trading technical attacks back and forth. But Lemos came out of nowhere to start round three with a bang.
Lemos delivered an overhand right that appeared to hurt Rodriguez, and she followed it up with a flying knee attempt as Rodriguez withdrew to the Octagon's edge. Lemos then unleashed a flurry of nothing put power blows, forcing the referee to call the fight off.
It was fantastic.
Don't miss a single second of UFC 292: Sterling vs. O'Malley, live from Boston, Massachusetts' TD Garden. The prelims begin at 8pm ET/5pm PT, and the main card begins live on PPV at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
