Amanda Lemos

Amanda Lemos, known to fans as "Amandinha," is a Brazilian mixed martial artist who competes in the Women's Strawweight division of the UFC.

Born and raised in Belém, in the northern Brazilian state of Pará, Lemos came to combat sports somewhat by accident. A former soccer player, she was repeatedly encouraged by a teammate who trained boxing and MMA to give the gym a try. Once she stepped onto the mats, she committed fully, connecting with coaches Iuri Alcantara and Beto Brandão, who helped shape her into a professional fighter and remain part of her corner today. She turned pro in 2014 and trains out of the Marajó Brothers Team in her hometown.

Lemos's striking pedigree traces back to that early boxing foundation, refined over years alongside Brandão, and it became the signature of her rise through Brazil's regional circuit. Fighting largely for Jungle Fight, she ran up an undefeated start to her career before capturing the promotion's Women's Bantamweight Championship, which she defended twice.

In the cage, Lemos fights as a heavy-handed boxer-first striker, using sharp combinations and clinch knees to hurt opponents, while her ground game, sharpened at Marajó Brothers, has produced finishes by guillotine and rear-naked choke alike.

Her UFC tenure has included a full five-round title challenge against then-champion Zhang Weili, a guillotine-choke stoppage of Michelle Waterson-Gomez, a rapid finish of Marina Rodriguez, and a unanimous-decision win over Mackenzie Dern.

Beyond the record books, Lemos has built a reputation as one of the most feared punchers in her division and a standard-bearer for Brazil's deep strawweight talent pool. Motivated in large part by her young daughter, she has framed her UFC run as proof that a late, unconventional start in combat sports can still lead to the sport's biggest stages.