UFC 292: Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O'Malley continues on the main card with a fight in the co-main event for the strawweight championship as the champion Zhang Weili takes on surging contender Amanda Lemos. Weili has won two straight and reclaimed her strawweight championship in her last fight meanwhile, Lemos has back-to-back finishes en route to her first chance at fighting for gold. With that said, check out our UFC odds series for our Weili-Lemos prediction and pick.
Zhang Weili (23-3) has been a dominant force since stepping foot inside the octagon with a 7-2 record with four of those seven wins coming inside the distance. She most recently became a two-time strawweight champion when she dominated former two-time strawweight champion Carla Esparza en route to a second-round submission. She will now attempt to defend her title against heavy-hitting strawweight contender Amanda Lemos.
Amanda Lemos (13-2-1) is on the verge of potentially tasting gold when she takes son Zhang Weili this weekend at UFC 292. Lemos is coming off back-to-back dominant performances that saw her finishing both Marina Rodriguez and Michelle Waterson-Gomez in devastating fashion. This will be Lemos' toughest test to date as she looks to get that strawweight title wrapped around her waist this weekend in Boston, Massachusetts.
Here are the UFC Odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
UFC 292 Odds: Zhang Weili-Amanda Lemos Odds
Zhang Weili: -325
Amanda Lemos: +250
Over 4.5 Rounds: N/A
Under 4.5 Rounds: N/A
How to Watch Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos
TV: PPV
Stream: PPV
Time: 10:00 p.m. ET/ 7:00 p.m. PT (Main Card)
Why Zhang Weili Will Win
Zhang Weili is looking to ascend her career to being one of the best strawweight champions in UFC history and that starts with a fight against the dangerous Amanda Lemos. Weili has finished 19 of her 23 wins which is split between 11 knockouts or TKO and eight submissions showing her well-rounded skillset which will be needed against a powerful striker like Amanda Lemos.
Lemos will be looking to take Weili's head off any chance that she gets much like she has done in eight of her 13 victories. While Weili can fight fire with fire and potentially beat her to the punch but that would be reckless when she can take her down and dominate her on the mat just like she did against Carla Esparza. Weili can put a hurting on Lemos on the feet when she finds her timing and once she is able to find her timing and mix it in with the takedowns she can successfully defend her strawweight title this weekend at UFC 292.
Why Amanda Lemos Will Win
Amanda Lemos is an absolute powerhouse at 115 lbs with arguably the most power we have seen in the strawweight division. In her seven wins since her move to the strawweight division, Lemos has three knockouts with two in her last four wins. Lemos has the daunting task of going up against Zhang Weili who's looking like one of the most dominant strawweight champs we will see in UFC history.
While Weili is as dangerous as she is we've seen her get caught before against Rose Namajunas and then beat in a closely contested fight in the rematch. This shows that she can beat and that the avenue of victory is there for Amanda Lemos to capture his first world championship. As long as she can keep this fight on her feet the more likely this fight will be a pick em' and her chances of winning increase dramatically.
Final Zhang Weili-Amanda Lemos Prediction & Pick
This strawweight championship has the chance to have a ton of fireworks as both Zhang Weili and Amanda Lemos are always looking to put on a very exciting fight for the fans. Lemos has the power to replicate what Rose Namajunas was able to accomplish which will always have us on the edge of our seats. With that said, Weili has only grown from that loss against Namajunas as risen to the occasion, especially in her last two wins against the cream of the crop.
Lemos will need to do everything in her power to ensure that she keeps this fight on the feet because as we've seen in her previous fights that if the fight hits the mat she can and most likely will get finished there. Ultimately, there will be some dicey moments on the feet for Zhang until she finds her timing and gets her rhythm down until she is able to take Lemos to the mat which is where she will finish her inside three rounds and retain her strawweight championship.
Final Zhang Weili-Amanda Lemos & Pick: Zhang Weili (-325)