Brazilian standouts Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba face off in a crucial pairing near the top of the strawweight division in Saturday’s main event.
Lemos rebounded from her championship opportunity at UFC 292 last summer in Boston with a dominant effort opposite Mackenzie Dern earlier this year at UFC 298, winning the first two rounds on all three scorecards before holding off the hard-changing grappling standout in the third. Currently stationed at No. 3 in the rankings, the 37-year-old aims to continue holding down her position in the hierarchy and putting together the wins needed to get herself a second crack at the strawweight title.
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Entering on a three-fight winning streak, Jandiroba steps into the championship mix for the first time in her UFC career. The former Invicta FC champ has registered convincing wins over Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez, and Loopy Godinez over her last three, showcasing her suffocating brand of grappling with flashes of improved striking sprinkled in along the way.
With champion Zhang Weili coming off another successful title defense in April at UFC 300 and her next challenger not yet confirmed, this weekend’s finale offers an opportunity for the Brazilian contenders to make their respective cases for consideration. A dominant effort on either side may not punch their ticket to a title shot, but it will bring whoeveremerges victorious one step closer to reaching that goal.