AMANDA LEMOS VS MONTSERRAT RUIZ FACTS
When is UFC Vegas 31? Sunday 18th July, 2021 - 01:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Vegas 31? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Vegas 31? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC events
What channel is UFC Vegas 31 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC Vegas 31? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
AMANDA LEMOS VS MONTSERRAT RUIZ LOWDOWN
We suspected Amanda Lemos (9-1-1) would be a dark horse in the strawweight division and based on her last fight, it certainly looks like it. She got TKO’d on her UFC debut by Leslie Smith but that was at bantamweight – 20 pounds heavier than her natural class. She returned two years later after serving a drugs ban and submitted Miranda Granger down at 115 lbs. She followed that up with a unanimous decision over Mizuki Inoue and then made a huge statement in March taking on the experienced Livia Renato Souza and knocking her out in the first round.
Montserrat ‘Conejo’ Ruiz (10-1) also made a big impression in March. She filled in for Kay Hansen on short notice to take on Cheyanne Buys and dominated her with her wrestling earning a unanimous decision. That win topped up an impressive looking record but her first eight wins were on the Mexican regional scene which does not mean much. Her first leap was fighting Danielle Taylor for Invicta and she lost a unanimous decision to raise a few questions, but she has answered them so far by going on to submit Janaisa Morandin for Invicta and that impressive UFC debut.
AMANDA LEMOS VS MONTSERRAT RUIZ PREDICTION
Lemos has some of the hardest kicks in the division and her power in general is frightening for a strawweight. She has legitimate knockout power which will be Conejo’s biggest threat but that will be completely nullified if her wrestling is on point.
Conejo’s is undersized for the division and will be giving up a four-inch reach and height advantage, so it is crucial she finds away to close the distance and get her hands on Lemos. If she can not find her way into the pocket or close Lemos off on the fence, the Brazilian will chew her up and spit her out.
Best case scenario for Conejo is to keep Lemos pinned against the fence and eventually drag her down to the canvas leveraging a head and arm throw hoping to to wrap up a scarf hold lock which she is very effective with. However, Lemos has good jiu-jitsu and should be able to defend the sub attempts if she lands on her back.
That said, the key factor here is Lemos’ power. She is a brute at strawweight and she should have the power to defend the majority of takedown attempts creating enough time and space to land dynamite with her hands and feet. Conejo is very tough and could easily drag this out to the bell, but we are going for a Lemos knockout but considering the odds, all the value is on a Conejo decision.
Prediction: Lemos via KO/TKO - CLICK HERE FOR PARIMATCH'S WELCOME OFFER (BET £5, GET £30 IN BONUSES!)
Value Bet: Conejo via Decision