Amanda Lemos is hoping to win her UFC 292 strawweight championship fight against reigning champion Zhang Weili this Saturday and believes her striking and jiu-jitsu skills will give her the edge.
Amanda Lemos is preparing for a high-stakes showdown with strawweight champion, Zhang Weili, this coming Saturday at UFC 292. Lemos has earned this opportunity by triumphing over Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Marina Rodrigues in two consecutive battles in 2022. Her primary goal now is to become the first fighter to force Weili into submission in the extreme sport of MMA. They are preparing to face off in the TD Garden located in Boston.
During an episode of the podcast Trocação Franca, Lemos voiced her strategy and expectations for the upcoming match. “I see myself submitting her. I truly believe that,” Lemos said. She expects Weili to either try to pin her down or engage in a stand-and-trade fight. Lemos confidently declared, “we’ll surprise her with my jiu-jitsu in case that happens.” Weili, a dominant fighter in her own right, has previously forced Jessica Aguilar to surrender early on in her UFC career and has recently subdued Carla Esparza. On the other hand, Lemos has claimed two of her seven victories in the octagon through submission techniques, forcing both Waterson-Gomez and Miranda Granger to tap out. Despite that, Lemos maintains her belief in her upper hand due to her impressive punching power.
“Weili is dangerous, we know it’s a tough fight for both of us,” Lemos acknowledged, emphasizing the difficulty of the upcoming clash. She highlighted Weili’s improved jiu-jitsu technique after watching her fight with Esparza. However, confident in her own evolution, Lemos has focused on improving both her striking and grappling. She concluded, “I don’t think she has encountered a tough hand [like mine]. I do think that’s an advantage for me on the feet.”
Despite the pressure of competing in a different location, Lemos remains committed to training in her home town of Belém. Having always performed her camps there, she is inspired by her evolution as a fighter while preparing for the belt. Lemos hopes to win the championship and create an opportunity for the UFC to organize events in Brazil, primarily since the last one was in 2018, when Lyoto Machida and Eryk Anders headlined a UFC event. “I don’t like all the noise and people around me, so it’s very important for me to see my evolution after training here,” Lemos added.