In the Clinch: Amanda Lemos Looks to Serve Notice to Jessica Andrade, UFC Vegas 52 – It wasn’t the greatest of starts in the octagon for Brazilian strawweight Amanda Lemos. The No. 10 Lemos (11-1-1), 34, entered the promotion on short notice in July 2017 and was pulverized by Leslie Smith in her debut. Then, she failed a drug test and was suspended by USADA for two years.
But since then, Lemos has rattled off five consecutive wins, rekindling the phenom status she enjoyed when she terrorized Brazilian MMA.
Lemos edged striker Angela Hill in her last contest, finished Montserrat Ruiz in 35 seconds, and dispatched former Invicta FC champion Livia Renata Souza in less than a round previously.
Saturday, Lemos will test her skills against former strawweight champion Jessica Andrade (22-9-0), 30, who is returning from the flyweight division, where she is currently ranked No. 6. Blessed with knockout power and a formidable grappling game, Andrade has struggled in her last five contests, going 2-3-0 albeit to top notch competition.
Andrade returned to form in her last fight, stopping Cynthia Calvillo at UFC 266 last September. While she has no official rank currently at 115 pounds, a win on Saturday should vault her into the top 10.
Saturday is an opportunity for Lemos to show what she can do with a full camp against a powerhouse in Andrade. She will likely have to temper her aggressiveness to avoid the takedown. It’s usually a long day at the office when “Bate Estaca” is on your back. And yet, Andrade has been knocked out four times and submitted twice. And Lemos has the power to add to the list.
Andrade will need to be careful too. She has made mistakes in key bouts before and serving up openings to Lemos could prove to be disastrous. If she can establish some striking early and then make Lemos work on the ground, it could be a clean and tidy decision.
I think this fight largely depends on what Andrade wants to do. She can come out guns a blazing, looking to put Lemos away like Leslie Smith did, or grind her out with her grappling and cardio. This will either provide or minimize the openings Lemos needs to capitalize.
Let’s see what happens.
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Amanda Lemos
Jessica Andrade
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