Virna Jandiroba secured a second-round armbar submission victory over Amanda Lemos in the UFC Vegas 94 main event, staking her claim for a title shot against current champion Zhang Weili.
Virna Jandiroba’s time is now.
Saturday’s UFC Vegas 94 main event saw Jandiroba step up in the biggest fight of her career. She headlined a UFC show for the first time. The 11-year veteran didn’t disappoint. She showcased her elite grappling skills, securing a second-round armbar submission against Amanda Lemos.
After her tap-out victory, the former Invicta FC strawweight champion was clear about her next goal. “Dana, I’m the next one,” Jandiroba declared via a Portuguese translator. “I’m the one that needs to get that title shot… Dana, I’m your next champion.”
Currently, Zhang Weili reigns over the UFC’s 115-pound division in her second stint as champion. According to Jandiroba, they were actually in talks to fight before. Now seems like the perfect time to revisit that matchup—this time with gold on the line.
“I was supposed to fight Weili a long time ago,” Jandiroba said. “But destiny crosses different paths. It’s time. Let’s go.”
Jandiroba (21-3) has been in championship form lately, winning her past four fights. Saturday marked arguably her best performance yet in the UFC as she defeated Lemos (14-4-1), a former strawweight title challenger.
The headliner was billed as a classic grappler vs. striker matchup. Jandiroba represented the grappling side with pride, shooting for an early takedown and limiting Lemos’ ability to showcase her punching power.
Lemos attempted to counter with a guillotine choke but Jandiroba was well-prepared and calmly worked out of it.
Soon it was Lemos’ turn to demonstrate submission defense as Jandiroba attacked with a leg lock. Though Lemos escaped, Jandiroba controlled most of the first round through grappling dominance.
In Round 2, Jandiroba showed respect for Lemos’ striking by patiently waiting for another takedown opportunity. When she did shoot again, it led to an extended scramble where she eventually took Lemos’ back.
Jandiroba gave Lemos little room to breathe and seized an opening for an armbar at 4:48 of Round 2—earning another tap-out victory.
Lemos has now lost two of her past three fights—including a failed title bid against Zhang at UFC 292.