An all-Brazilian battle between Amanda Lemos and Virna Jandiroba in the women’s strawweight division will headline a UFC Fight Night at the APEX Facility in Las Vegas on the morning of Sunday 21 July 2024.
Lemos (14-3-1) returned to winning form back in February when she defeated Mackenzie Dern by unanimous decision at UFC 298 – a fine bounce back from the disappointment of losing on points to Zhang Weili in a match for the strawweight championship in August of last year.
“I didn’t lose that fight by knockout or submission. Despite everything I went through to be in that fight, I managed to go five rounds and that comforted me,” said the 37-year-old Brazilian, who continues to add to her reputation of being a hard-hitter.
“In my daily sessions, the goal is always to hurt and hit hard. My coaches tell me I have a lot of power, so I trust them. I trust what they say and I try to apply that in the Octagon. My opponents also tell me that, so it’s good to know I’m on the right path.”
Jandiroba (20-3) has racked up three straight wins (all by unanimous decision) by overcoming Angela Hill, Marina Rodriguez and Loopy Godinez to rise to fifth place in the division rankings. A win over the No 3 ranked Lemos would push the 36-year-old Brazilian closer to the brink of a title chance.
“I accept every fight the UFC offers me, no questions asked, and I think the least they could do is give me someone ranked higher,” said ‘Carcara’. “I want to fight for the belt. The plan remains the same. That’s what I want, to fight someone higher ranked or for the belt. I’m ready.”
The rest of the main card features a middleweight match between Brad Tavares and Park Jun-yong; Steve Garcia v Choi Seung-woo and Choi Doo-ho v Bill Algeo, both in the featherweight division; and Kurt Holobaugh v Kaynan Kruschewsky in the lightweight category.
UFC Fight Night: Lemos v Jandiroba – Main card
- Main event: Women’s strawweight: Amanda Lemos v Virna Jandiroba
- Middleweight: Brad Tavares v Park Jun-yong
- Featherweight: Steve Garcia v Choi Seung-woo
- Lightweight: Kurt Holobaugh v Kaynan Kruschewsky
- Featherweight: Choi Doo-ho v Bill Algeo