Lemos was one of the top breakout fighters of 2021, entering the year on a two-fight winning streak, but carrying little momentum or buzz, despite brandishing an 8-1-1 record and each of her last two victories coming against solid competition.
She started to open some eyes with her dominant first-round win over Livinha Souza in March, and really made people sit up and take notice with her 35-second knockout win over Montserrat Conejo four months later. Those victories carried her into the Top 15 and a showdown with divisional fixture Angela Hill, which she won by split decision to push her winning streak to five and move into the Top 10.
This weekend, the 34-year-old Brazilian lands her first main event assignment, squaring off against returning former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade in a bout with legitimate “top of the division” ramifications.
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What has made Lemos stand out over the last year is her power — she can crack, and in a division where legitimate one-punch power is at a premium, her ability to connect and change the course of a fight with a single blow is eye-opening. Her performance against Conejo was extremely impressive, but the force of her blows was also the deciding factor in her fight with Hill as well, as the impact of her shots and immediate damage they produce are what shifted the results in her favor.
Saturday’s pairing with Andrade is a massive opportunity for Lemos to establish herself as a title threat in the 115-pound weight class. Andrade went 7-3 in her first strawweight run, claiming championship gold and only losing to others that have sat atop the divisional throne, and she was also impressive in her two flyweight wins.
Another victory would put Lemos on the short list of contenders in the strawweight division heading into the back half of the year and set her up for another marquee assignment next time out.