Rodriguez, Lemos make their case for a title shot
MARINA RODRIGUEZ and Amanda Lemos will both be looking to make their case for a title shot when they meet in the women’s strawweight main event of a UFC Fight Night at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 6 November 2022.
Rodriguez (16-1-2) has racked up four straight wins, most recently claiming a split decision triumph over Yan Xiaonan at UFC 272 in March.
The 35-year-old Brazilian is the No 3 ranked fighter in the division and looking to take that final step up to the point where she can fight for the division belt, currently worn by Carla Esparza – the only fighter to have beaten Rodriguez in her professional career.
“I believe that I have evolved in everything,” said Rodriguez. “Both on the ground and striking, I’ve evolved a lot and today I feel very confident as an athlete. Being in the top three, I feel ready for great challenges.”
She added, “I believe this gives me more confidence in my abilities, and I’ll be able to show that in the fight. I certainly feel more motivated to deliver a standout, more aggressive fight, and to come out with a convincing victory and then have a chance for the belt.”
Lemos (12-2-1) has won six of her last seven trips to the Octagon, most recently submitting Michelle Waterson in July to be ranked No 7 in the division.
The 35-year-old Brazilian is looking for a finish against a higher-ranked opponent to boost her own hopes of a path to the championship.
“She likes to leave it to the judges most of the time,” said Lemos. “I don’t - I like to finish fights - so I trained a lot to stop her game; to keep her from scoring points throughout the rounds and finish her.”
The remainder of the main card features a welterweight battle between Neil Magny and Daniel Rodriguez; Tagir Ulanbekov v Nate Maness in the flyweight category; and a catchweight (220 lb) clash of Maxim Grishin and Jailton Almeida.
UFC FIGHT NIGHT: Rodriguez v Lemos – Main card MAIN EVENT: Women’s strawweight: Marina Rodriguez v Amanda Lemos
WELTERWEIGHT: Neil Magny v Daniel Rodriguez FLYWEIGHT: Tagir Ulanbekov v Nate Maness CATCHWEIGHT (220 LB): Maxim Grishin v Jailton Almeida - SuperSport.