In the main event of UFC Vegas 64, a pivotal strawweight bout went down as Amanda Lemos took on Marina Rodriguez in a potential title eliminator.
Lemos entered the fight coming off a submission win over Michelle Waterson to return to the win column. In her first UFC main event, Lemos suffered a first-round submission loss Jessica Andrade. Prior to that, she was on a five-fight win streak. On the win streak, she had notable wins over Angela Hill, Monsterrat Ruiz, and Livia Renato Souza. Meanwhile, Rodriguez was on a four-fight win streak with wins over Yan Xiaonan, Mackenzie Dern, Waterson, and Amanda Ribas.
In the end, it was Lemos winning by third-round TKO in an entertaining fight. Now, after the fight, here is what I think should be next for both fighters involved in the UFC Vegas 64 main event.
Amanda Lemos
Amanda Lemos is now a legit title contender. Although some momentum was halted by her submission loss to Andrade, the former champ is now fighting at flyweight which could allow Lemos to get a title shot.
Lemos was having success early on, in a fight she was the underdog. Although the stoppage may have been early, it likely only would’ve gotten worse for Rodriguez.
Now, following the win, Lemos should be fighting for the belt next. The strawweight belt is on the line this Saturday as Carla Esparza takes on Weili Zhang. With Andrade at 125lbs, there is no clear-cut next contender. As well, the timing works out for Lemos to be fighting for UFC gold next.
Marina Rodriguez
Marina Rodriguez likely could’ve sat out and waited to see if she would get a title shot. Yet, she decided to take the risk and she came up short but still will remain in the top five of the division.
Rodriguez will likely take some time off following the loss but a logical next opponent is Rose Namajunas. Both fighters are likely a win or two away from a title shot and the scrap could headline a Fight Night card. It’s a fight that could happen in the first quarter of 2023 as Namajunas wanted time off after her loss to Esparza to lose her title.
What do you think should be next for Amanda Lemos and Marina Rodriguez after UFC Vegas 64?