5 must-see fights at UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade
Jessica Andrade, the former UFC strawweight queen, is making her return to the division after a two-fight stint at flyweight that saw her go 2-1. A great debut against Katlyn Chookagian had 'Bate Estaca' thinking that the weight cut to 115lbs may have held her back. Although she had some success, she just wasn't on the same level as the flyweight champion, Valentina Shevchenko.
It's an all-Brazil battle in Saturday's #UFCVegas52 main event!
Amanda Lemos and Jessica Andrade have an intense faceoff before going to war. Who ya got?! 🇧🇷 https://t.co/zKa0dYYrSz
Opposite the former champion is Amanda Lemos. Although she's four years Andrade's elder, she's the fresher face in this main event equation. Lemos will try to make the most of her first main event spot and make a stepping stone out of the former champion.
Preluding this match is a whole card filled with some of the world's best fighters. Dynamic strikers, long-awaited returns, and true legends of the sport have coalesced to create what should be a non-stop action event. Here are five must-see fights at UFC Fight Night: Lemos vs. Andrade.
#5. Jessica Andrade vs. Amanda Lemos at UFC Vegas 52
The titular bout on this card and one that'll significantly impact the strawweight division is former champion Jessica Andrade taking on Amande Lemos. 'Bate Estaca' is making the move back to the UFC's stacked strawweight division and is looking to punch her way back into title contention.
Jessica Andrade is a SCARY fighter 😳
There isn't many athletes who can win a title in this fashion 💥
She takes on Amanda Lemos on Saturday night.
#UFCVegas52 | Saturday | BT Sport 1 HD https://t.co/4elC3hvdl0
After Weili Zhang ran through her to steal the belt, she lost the following rematch to Namajunas, making the Brazilian move to flyweight. Her impressive debut against Katlyn Chookagian led her to the champion Valentina Shevchenko. Albeit a valiant effort, she was simply a step behind the 'Bullet' at every turn of the fight and lost via second-round TKO. A rebound victory over Cynthia Calvillo saw Andrade score another first-round victory placing her back to her winning ways. She has since returned to strawweight, a division where she once reached the pinnacle of her dominance.
Standing opposite her in the cage is Amande Lemos. With a record 5-1 in the UFC, 'Amandinha' is a prolific finisher, seeing as she's finished 82% of her victories. Most recently, she took on Angela Hill in what was a ridiculously close but wildly exciting match. She won this fight via split decision and the two fights before this were won by first-round TKO. If the style and timing of this match are indicative of anything, it's that this will be an absolute war.