Zhang Weili is back to defend her strawweight title against impressive contender Amanda Lemos this weekend in Boston at UFC 292. Being the co-main event of one of the biggest summer cards on the UFC schedule gives a big fight feel to this clash of high-level martial artists.
Read more for a closer look at this bout, along with the official Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos prediction, before making your bets final this weekend.
Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos Information
Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos
Location: TD Garden, Boston, Massachusetts, US
Date & Time: August 19, 2023. 10 PM ET
How to Watch: ESPN+ PPV
Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos Last Fight Record
Weili is coming off regaining her title with a second-round submission win over Carla Esparza last November.
Lemos earned her first title shot with a third-round TKO over the talented Marina Rodriguez last November as well.
Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos Betting Analysis
Zhang Weili
Weili is one of the most talented fighters on the entire UFC roster. She is coming into this weekend as a 34-year-old world champion with a professional MMA record of 23-2 with 11 KOs and eight submissions–one of the most dominant resumes in women’s MMA.
Weili averages 5.79 significant strikes landed and 4.06 significant strikes absorbed per minute inside the octagon. To add to her elite striking abilities, she also averages 1.97 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Amanda Lemos
Lemos is a 36-year-old MMA fighter with a professional record of 13-2-1 with eight TKO/KOs and three submissions. After she earned finishes over Michelle Waterson-Gomez and Marina Rodriguez in 2022, it set up her first title shot this summer at UFC 292.
“Amandinha” averages 4.51 significant strikes landed and 3.97 significant strikes absorbed per minute in the octagon. She also mixes in level changes and averages 1.12 takedowns per 15 minutes. To add to her offensive skills, Lemos also has a solid 81% takedown defense.
Updates
No injuries have been reported to the UFC.
Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos Betting Preview
Before making any UFC predictions, make sure you take time and review all the betting lines available for a fight. The Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos prediction can be adjusted due to what the lines are looking like.
According to UFC odds, Weili is coming in as the clear betting favorite with odds at -320, and her opponent is coming in at +270. Lemos is the underdog but still has the skill level to end anybody’s night in a matter of seconds.
Weili is favored at -185 to win this inside the scheduled five rounds, and Lemos is +425 to do the same. Women’s MMA fights are rare to be favored to end inside the 25 minutes given for title fights, but this one is -325 to end inside the distance.
From a more technical analysis of this matchup, it’s tough to give the nod to Lemos in any category. Weili has sharper boxing, harder kicks, and can grapple with literally anybody in the division.
Lemos will need to take chances to hurt Weili because no one’s going to beat someone like Weili by just matching strike for strike. This fight will most likely have some risks being taken and will end in fireworks.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Lemos tries to take Weili down early into the fight. That might be a path to winning rounds if she really has trouble with the speed and boxing ability that Weili has.
Zhang Weili vs. Amanda Lemos Betting Prediction
The official Zhang Weili vs Amanda Lemos prediction is that Weili will get her hand raised on Saturday night and successfully start her second reign as world champion with a title defense.
If you look at the betting lines, Weili’s money line isn’t very valuable for a single bet. The best move to make is either add this to a parlay or go in on this fight going the distance.
If Lemos shows up in shape and ready to go, there’s a great chance this will be a 25-minute war. You can find some great underdog odds for this fight going into the late rounds or to the scorecards.
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