UFC Predictions: UFC Fight Night: Amanda Lemos vs. Jessica Andrade
This weekend sees the UFC return to the Las Vegas APEX for another Fight Night event. While the card looks better than last weekend’s show, it’s still not the strongest.
UFC Fight Night: Amanda Lemos vs. Jessica Andrade features a big strawweight fight in the headliner, with a mix of veterans and prospects competing elsewhere in the event. Hopefully, this weekend’s fights deliver some better action in the octagon than last weekend’s show did, making this one at least watchable overall.
Here are the predicted outcomes for UFC Fight Night: Amanda Lemos vs. Jessica Andrade.
#1. UFC strawweight division: Amanda Lemos vs. Jessica Andrade
It seems like Jessica Andrade has essentially settled into a spot once held by the likes of Rich Franklin, Chad Mendes, and many others – the highest-end gatekeeper in her division.
‘Bate Estaca’ famously won the strawweight title back in 2019 with a stunning TKO of Rose Namajunas. After losing it to Weili Zhang in her first defense, she then fell to Namajunas in a non-title rematch to essentially knock her out of contention.
Rose Namajunas and Jessica Andrade's first fight was WILD and ended with a huge slam 😱
The belt is no longer on the line, but they will finally run it back at #UFC251 🙌 https://t.co/NnmkFYkbl1
A move to flyweight seemed to re-energize her, but due to the thin nature of that division, she was given what was probably a premature title shot after just one fight there, and ended up being TKO’d violently by Valentina Shevchenko.
Now back at 115lbs following a win over Cynthia Calvillo in late 2021, Andrade will be hoping to turn back the charge of fellow Brazilian Amanda Lemos – so can she do it?
At the age of 34, it’s slightly tricky to consider Lemos a prospect as such, but in reality, she isn’t all that experienced, holding a record of 11-1-1. She has, however, been on an excellent run in the octagon – going 5-1 overall and winning her last five bouts, three by stoppage.
However, it’s safe to say that the Brazilian is still a developing fighter overall. She doesn’t yet look like a completely natural striker, although she’s clearly got serious punching power, as evidenced by her TKO win over Livinha Souza last year. Her wrestling isn’t watertight even if her submission skills look good.
Lemos was in control from minute one!
LIVE on @UFCFightPass, ESPN2, #ESPNPlus ]DROPPED WITH A JAB 💥
🇧🇷 Lemos was in control from minute one!
[ 📱 LIVE on @UFCFightPass, ESPN2, #ESPNPlus ] https://t.co/k6i3SmwN1d
How does she match with Andrade? To be honest, probably not well. ‘Bate Estaca’ is obviously limited in terms of her technical ability on the feet and she isn’t great off her back, but it’s hard to imagine Lemos putting her there.
Given that only truly technically gifted strikers like Shevchenko, Namajunas and Joanna Jedrzejczyk – as well as the powerful Zhang – have been able to outstrike Andrade, for Lemos to do so will mean her fighting on a level she hasn’t suggested she’s capable of before.
More likely, we’ll see ‘Bate Estaca’ use her hand speed and brute power to blitz Lemos early, putting her away before the end of the second round.
The Pick: Andrade via second round TKO