[autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag] thinks [autotag]Amanda Lemos[/autotag] has the tools to dethrone UFC strawweight champion [autotag]Zhang Weili[/autotag].
Lemos (13-2-1 MMA, 7-2 UFC) challenges Weili (23-3 MMA, 7-2 UFC) in the UFC 292 co-main event on Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston. Lemos is coming off back-to-back finishes of Michelle Waterson and Marina Rodriguez. Eleven of the Brazilian’s 13 professional wins have come by finish – eight by knockout and three by submission.
“I really do think that Amanda Lemos can beat her,” Suarez said in an interview with Helen Yee. “I think Amanda Lemos has really good striking and then she has a really good ground game. She obviously got that really beautiful guillotine against Michelle Waterson.
“I’ve been a huge fan. She’s really dynamic. She hits really hard, and I’m very impressed by her. So, I think she can get the job done. I know that Weili can hit hard, too, so I think it’ll be a really good fight. But I just think that Amanda Lemos can do it. She’s good all over.”
Suarez (9-0 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets Virna Jandiroba at a UFC Fight Night event Aug. 5 at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The undefeated fighter sees herself two wins away from getting a title shot.
“In my next fight I’m looking for a finish and then after that I want to fight maybe in the winter,” Suarez said. “Once I beat Virna, I can be No. 5 or whatever she is, No. 5 or 6, and then after that I think Yan (Xiaonan). I don’t know if she’s just waiting, but I’d be happy to fight her in the end of the year then fight the winner of Weili vs. Lemos in 2024 early.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.