Fight Preview
Strawweight champion Zhang Weili defends her title against challenger Amanda Lemos in the UFC 292 co-main event. Zhang, who defeated Carla Esparza to become a two-time champion, will compete in the co-main event of Saturday night’s UFC 292 pay-per-view event in the hopes of furthering her legacy.
One of the most deadly strikers in the league, Lemos, stands in the way of the Chinese titleholder. Although Lemos may not have much of a following among diehards, the champion will face some unique challenges due to the challenger’s skill set.
Although Lemos, 36, is most known for her striking, the Marajo Brothers Team in Brazil helped her make noticeable improvements to her ground game. The current champion cannot afford to underestimate Lemos’ abilities, whether it be her improved takedown defense that led to a guillotine opportunity versus Michelle Waterson or her remarkable scrambling against Marina Rodriguez.
Lemos, a dangerous counter striker, will look to pounce on any aggressive Zhang entry attempts. Lemos has effective weapons from both stances, including check hooks and counter crosses. Given Zhang’s height and stooping inclination, the 26-year-old Brazilian’s brutal knees and front kicks could serve her well. However, given the champion’s penchant for countering low kicks, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Lemos abandon many of them.
Because of her training in wushu sanda and her newfound interest in muay thai, Zhang appears to have no trouble at all countering kicks or turning them into takedowns. Zhang can also spice up an exchange with strong hooks or spinning assaults to the body, but I have a feeling that the 34-year-old superstar will continue to show improvement in the grappling department.
Zhang’s wrestling has improved noticeably over the past few years because of her time spent training under the tutelage of the Hickman brothers at Bang Tao Muay Thai. Zhang’s ground game has only gotten stronger since she started training with No-Gi world champions like Josh Hinger (as seen by her submission victory over Esparza).
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Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos Fight Information
- Date: 08/19/2023
- Time: 11:25 PM ET
- Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts.
- How to Watch Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos: TNT Sports 1
- Live Stream: BT Sport.com
