Amanda Lemos Record: 15-6-1

Rise to contention

Lemos turned into one of the division's most feared finishers in 2021, blasting out Livinha Souza and Montserrat Conejo Ruiz with first-round TKOs before edging veteran Angela Hill by split decision that December. A 2022 first-round loss to Jéssica Andrade briefly stalled her, but she responded emphatically: a second-round guillotine of Michelle Waterson-Gomez in July 2022, followed by a third-round TKO of the previously dominant Marina Rodriguez in November, vaulted her into title contention.

Title shot and later career

Lemos earned her championship opportunity at UFC 292 in August 2023, challenging strawweight queen Weili Zhang and pushing the champion the full five rounds before losing a unanimous decision. She bounced back with a notable 2024 decision win over grappling ace Mackenzie Dern at UFC 298, but the back half of her run grew tougher. She was submitted by Virna Jandiroba in 2024, rebounded with a 2025 decision over Iasmin Lucindo, then dropped decisions to Tatiana Suarez and Gillian Robertson as she navigated the division's elite.

Fighting style

Lemos is a true finisher, a rarity among strawweights. Her 15-6-1 record features eight knockouts and three submissions for a 73% finish rate, the highest-impact résumé in a division often decided on the scorecards. Her power is genuine and division-altering — several of her wins came inside the first round — and her jiu-jitsu roots give her a real submission threat in scrambles and a choke game she can hunt off both top and bottom. The honest counterweight is her ceiling against the very best: her losses to elite, well-rounded opponents have tended to come when she cannot land cleanly or is out-grappled over a longer fight, exposing the gap between a dangerous finisher and a complete five-round championship game.

Career highlights

• UFC strawweight title challenger — went five rounds with champion Weili Zhang at UFC 292 in a bid for the belt.
• Contender-making knockout streak — stopped Marina Rodriguez and submitted Michelle Waterson-Gomez to surge into the top of the rankings.
• Elite finishing rate — an 73% finish rate built on eight knockouts and three submissions, among the most dangerous in the strawweight division.