The UFC‘s Abu Dhabi PPV card in October just continues to get better and better. Today, Combate was the first to report a big time matchup and a potential title eliminator in the strawweight division. It was reported that Marina Rodriguez (16-1-2) will be taking on Amanda Lemos (12-2-1).
As mentioned the fight will go down at UFC 280 in Abu Dhabi on October 22nd. The fight represents a really quick turnaround for Lemos who just fought a few days ago at UFC Long Island against Michelle Waterson-Gomez.
After losing the first round, Lemos came on strong in the second round. When Waterson-Gomez went for a takedown, Lemos snatched her neck and locked up a guillotine choke for the win. It was a really strong bounce back win for Lemos after her loss to Jessica Andrade.
After losing her UFC debut, Lemos had won five in a row prior to her fight with Andrade where she was submitted in the first round. With the win over Waterson-Gomez, she got back on track. Now, at UFC 280 she gets her chance to potentially earn a title shot. However, that’s going to be a very tall order.
UFC 280 Flyweight Contest
Under normal circumstances, Marina Rodriguez would be setup for a shot at the UFC’s strawweight title. Rodriguez has won four fights in a row against top level competition, but she will not get the next shot at the title. Instead, former champion Zhang Weili will get that shot.
Rodriguez last loss to the current champion Carla Esparza, but she’s been on a roll since. This is going to be another tough fight for Rodriguez, but it’s a fight where she should be the favorite. That said, it’s the first time in a while that she will be fighting someone who can match her in the striking.
Lemos is extremely dangerous on the feet just like Rodriguez. This should be a fun matchup at UFC 280.