Amanda Lemos has climbed high enough to see the top of the mountain, so she knows it can be done; it’s simply a matter of doing it again. The former Jungle Fight champion’s last two losses in the UFC were to strawweight champ Weili Zhang, and prior to that, against former champion Jessica Andrade in what could easily have been a title eliminator bout at the time.
As she prepares to face Virna Jandiroba in the main event of UFC on ESPN 60 this Saturday in Las Vegas, the 37-year-old Brazilian recognizes that her path back to a shot at the belt is at a major crossroads, and her experience thus far in the UFC – losses and setbacks as well as victories – has prepared her for this.