ELMONT, N.Y. – Amanda Lemos didn’t mind a turnaround of less than three months from her previous fight if it meant finally getting her hands on Michelle Waterson.
Lemos (11-2-1 MMA, 5-2 UFC) meets Waterson (18-9 MMA, 6-5 UFC) in the co-main event of Saturday’s UFC on ABC 3 lineup, which airs on ABC following prelims on ESPN+. It’s an important fight for both women, who are keen to rebound from losses and show they still are relevant contenders in the strawweight division.
After Lemos was submitted in the opening round by Jessica Andrade in her first UFC main event in April, she was itching to get back on track as soon as possible. The UFC gave her a quick turnaround against an opponent she’s been craving to fight for some time, so Lemos enters fight week filled with joy.
“I want to stay busy and I want to get to the top as fast as I can,” Lemos told MMA Junkie and other reporters through an interpreter at Wednesday’s UFC on ABC 3 media day. “So win or lose, I was already looking to fight. They offered me Michelle. I’ve been looking to fight Michelle for a while, so I took the fight without thinking twice. Obviously she’s got a number next to her name in the rankings and I want to stay busy.”
Lemos made her UFC debut in July 2017 as a bantamweight and lost to Leslie Smith. She then received a two-year suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and when she returned, did so at 115 pounds and put together a five-fight winning streak.
That run set the stage for the clash with former UFC champ Andrade, who swiftly submitted her fellow Brazilian with a standing arm-triangle choke. The result brought Lemos back to earth, she said, and it forced her to further dial in her preparation and focus.
“All it did for me was remotivate me, reignite me to go home and train even harder – push myself harder, get better in every area so it won’t happen again,” Lemos said.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 3.
