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On August 8, the UFC holds a fight night at the Meta Apex in Las Vegas. Former title challenger Amanda Lemos returns in the Octagon. She takes on up-and-coming Alexia Thainara in the strawweight division.
Multiple sources have confirmed the match-up to Heavy.com. In the official UFC media rankings, Lemos sits at number seven while Thainara is ranked fourteenth. However, the new Meta AI rankings flip their positions, placing Thainara at number ten and Lemos at number eleven.
Former Title Challenger Needs A Win
Former title challenger Amanda Lemos is in desperate need of a win to remain near the top challengers in the strawweight division. Lemos started her career in the UFC at bantamweight but dropped down to strawweight after a bad debut, followed by a suspension. Within two years, Lemos racked up five wins, including a split decision over Angela Hill. It got her a main event spot in 2022 against Jessica Andrade.
Lemos lost the fight but was able to end the year on a high note by finishing Michelle Waterson-Gomez and top contender Marina Rodriguez. The TKO win over Rodriguez got her a title shot against Zhang Weili. After five rounds, Zhang was too strong and beat Lemos by unanimous decision. The Brazilian fighter went on to beat current champion Mackenzie Dern and Iasmin Lucindo. Lemos looked back on track but lost her most recent fights. She needs to win against Thainara to stay relevant as a contender in the division.
A Big Opportunity For Thainara
For Thainara, it is a big opportunity to fight someone established like Lemos. Thainara earned her UFC contract in 2024 by beating Rose Conceição during the Contender Series. The Team Ribas fighter made her debut in the UFC on short notice when she took on Molly McCann in hostile territory in London.
Thainara fought a very good fight and finished McCann by rear-naked choke submission in the first round. Thainara ended 2025 with another win over Loma Lookboonmee. The win got her ranked in the strawweight division. In her most recent fight, three months ago, she beat Bruna Brasil by unanimous decision. Thainara now takes on another Brazilian fighter in Lemos. By far the biggest challenge of her career.
UFC Vegas 120 – August 8
- Amanda Lemos vs. Alexia Thainara
- Louie Sutherland vs. José Montanha
- Juliana Miller vs. Ravena Oliveira
- Steven Asplund vs. Guilherme Pat
- Donte Johnson vs. Eric McConico
Marcel Dorff Marcel Dorff covers Mixed Martial Arts & Soccer for Heavy.com. He has covered MMA on a professional level since 2022. More about Marcel Dorff