Amanda Lemos stands by the principle, “Fall down seven times, stand up eight.” Just like the strongest steel is forged in the hottest fire, the Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight contender has taken every career setback as a chance to reorient herself in the right direction. While she hoped that she would ride the wave of good fortune with a stint in the UFC, her debut in the organization was marred by a positive test for a banned substance which led to her being suspended for two years from competition.
It felt like she was back in the thick of adversity even after making it into the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization.