Preview: UFC 313 ‘Pereira vs. Ankalaev’

Women’s Strawweights

Iasmin Lucindo (17-5, 4-1 UFC) vs. Amanda Lemos (14-4-1, 8-4 UFC)

ODDS: Lucindo (-148), Lemos (+124)

If Lucindo gets a win here to break into title contention, it would be a stunning rise for the 23-year-old Brazilian. Lucindo was the clear B-side in a 2022 battle of UFC newcomers against Yazmin Jauregui, but she acquitted herself well in a loss, holding her own in an entertaining brawl and overachieving relative to the wrestling-heavy approach she showed on the regional scene. Her 2023 campaign was much more of a mixed bag, as Lucindo won both of her fights but did so in sloppy and uninspiring fashion. However, 2024 proved to be a surprising breakout year, with Lucindo shooting up the ranks after beating Karolina Kowalkiewicz and Marina Rodriguez. The Kowalkiewicz win was fairly simple, with Lucindo landing some hard offense early that seemed to take the Polish veteran out of the fight. The Rodriguez fight was a much closer victory that showed the positives and negatives of Lucindo’s game as it currently stands. She can be hittable while favoring power more than volume on the feet, but she’s tough as nails and can get to a bullying wrestling game that a lot of strawweights aren’t able to physically stomach. That makes Lemos a fascinating next test for Lucindo, as her greatest strength is her athleticism.

After some forgettable time as a bantamweight, Lemos moved down two divisions and looked like an absolute powerhouse after a few quick wins, including some impressive knockouts. Like her countrywoman, Lemos leaves a lot of time and space for opponents to work, but unlike Lucindo, her takedown defense has been a clear weakness against opponents able to walk in on her and get to her wrestling. However, unless opponents can continually neutralize Lemos and control vast swaths of her fights, she has proven adept at landing enough hard offense to win rounds—if not end the fight entirely. Lucindo’s wrestling is a clear concern for Lemos. Even so, with Lucindo having skated by on some narrow margins in some of her wins, the lean is that Lemos can hit hard enough to eke this out, even if her counterpart grinds out a lot of this fight in the process. The pick is Lemos via decision.

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Pereira vs. Ankalaev
Fiziev vs. Gaethje
Bahamondes vs. Turner
Lucindo vs. Lemos
Ruffy vs. Green
The Prelims