Michelle Waterson will return to the strawweight division to fight Amanda Lemos this weekend. The bout will serve as the co-main event of UFC Long Island this Saturday. The card will be headlined by a featherweight contest between Brian Ortega and Yair Rodriguez.
Waterson has not had the greatest run in the UFC lately. She came into the company with a lot of hype behind her as the Invicta Atomweight Champion. However, she has not been able to fight at her full strength in the UFC. So far, she has had a record of 6-5 in the company so far.
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Amanda Lemos on the other hand, is coming off a loss to former champ Jessica Andrade in her last fight. But she was on a spectacular win streak heading into the fight. Lemos had won 5 fights in a row after losing to Leslie Smith on her UFC debut. She is currently ranked 11th in the 115lbs division.
UFC Fight Night, Michelle Waterson vs Amanda Lemos: Stats
Stats | Michelle Waterson | Amanda Lemos |
---|---|---|
Wins | 18 | 11 |
Losses | 9 | 2 |
Height | 1.6 m | 1.63 m |
Division | Women’s Strawweight | Women’s Strawweight |
Reach | 157.5 cm | 165.1 cm |
Age | 36 | 35 |
Michelle Waterson vs Amanda Lemos: Fight Breakdown
For someone who is primarily a striker, Michelle Waterson certainly holds a lot of submissions. Out of her 18 wins, Waterson has 9 submissions and 3 knockouts. She has managed to secure 18 takedowns in her UFC so far. However, she does not have the best accuracy in her takedowns.
With an accuracy of 32%, Karate Hottie manages 1.40 takedowns per fight. She also averages 0.8 submission attempts per fight. On her feet, Waterson lands at about 3.57 strikes per minute. But her defence has been quite up to the mark as she absorbs 4.13 strikes per minute.
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In comparison, her opponent Amanda Lemos has much better-striking stats. She lands 5.14 strikes per minute while absorbing 4.42 strikes. Although she does absorb more punishment than Waterson, Amanda also has a much higher output. She possesses a great takedown defence as well of 88% and has only been taken down once in the UFC.
Although Lemos was submitted by Andrade in her last fight, it can be seen more as an anomaly. All of Waterson’s submissions came on the ground. Hence, Amanda will feel more comfortable about her chances against Michelle. She is slightly younger and has a big reach advantage over Waterson.
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The Brazilian has also had a much better track record in recent times. Although Michelle Waterson does have the ability to engage Lemos in the clinch and take her down, Amanda will be the more mobile fighter in the cage. Although it may not end in an early stoppage, the fight between Michelle and Amanda has the potential to be a barnburner.