This weekend in the UFC, a card full of athletes is set to clock in at the Octagon for likely the last time in 2022 at UFC Vegas 64. Headlining the event, No. 7 Amanda Lemos challenges No. 3 Marina Rodriguez for the chance to jump into the top five of the women’s strawweight division and a possible title shot in 2023. Supporting the main event is a welterweight battle between No.13 Neil Magny and No.14 Daniel Rodriguez as they both aim for a future opportunity to crack the top 10.
Watch UFC Vegas 64
- When: Saturday, November 5, 2022
- Prelims Start Time: 4 p.m. ET / 1 p.m. PT
- Main Card Start Time: 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
- Location: UFC APEX – Las Vegas, Nevada
- UFC Live Stream: ESPN+
The co-headliner between Magny and Rodriguez is intriguing as “D-Rod” just defeated Li Jingliang in a catchweight bout on the chaotic UFC 279 card less than two months ago. Already scheduled for a catchweight contest on that card opposite Kevin Holland, the change worked out well for Rodriguez as he claimed Jingliang’s spot at 14 in the welterweight division. He now aims to continue his ascent up the ladder as he puts his four-fight winning streak up on the line against Magny who had impressive decision victories over Geoff Neal and Max Griffin before falling to now-No.10 Shakvat Rakhmonov in June.
Marina Rodriguez vs Amanda Lemos Preview
Just this spring, Lemos (12-2-1) was in the top five of the women’s strawweight division and tasked with welcoming Jessica Andrade who was stepping down a weight class. The former champion made quick work of Lemos, submitting her at 3:13 of the first round of a five-round UFC Fight Night main event. Lemos didn’t waste much time before getting rid of the taste of defeat, submitting Michelle Waterson-Gomez in the second round of their bout in July. The opportunity now against Rodriguez is a key one to getting her championship campaign back on track.
Rodriguez (16-1-2) hasn’t fought since March when she earned a split decision nod over Xiaonan Yan. The victory extended her winning streak to four since she was on the wrong side of a split against current champion Carla Esparza in 2020. Currently ranked No.8 in the women’s pound-for-pound standings, Rodriguez is on the path toward a rematch with Esparza for UFC gold. First, she has to defend her spot in line from Lemos.
The way that the two women fight and how long the bout goes will likely determine the winner. Rodriguez is a decision fighter though she possesses knockout power. The majority of her appearances go the full 15 minutes, as evidenced by her average fight time of 14:54. Lemos, on the other hand, is a finisher. With victories by TKO or submission in nearly 90 percent of her victories, she has the ability to take the result of the fight into her own control. Still, Rodriguez is an early favorite at -210 to have her hand raised. This would suggest that fans should buckle up for five rounds of brutal exchanges in what could be the fight of the night.
UFC Vegas 64 Fight Card and Odds*
- #3 Marina Rodriguez (-210) vs #7 Amanda Lemos (+180) – Women’s Strawweight
- #13 Neil Magny (-115) vs #14 Daniel Rodriguez (-105) – Welterweight
- Chase Sherman (-130) vs Josh Parisian (+110) – Heavyweight
- #15 Tagir Ulanbekov (-190) vs Nate Maness (+160) – Flyweight
- Grant Dawson (-215) vs Mark Madsen (+185) – Lightweight
Preliminary Card
- Darrick Minner (+175) vs Shayilan Nuerdanbieke (-205) – Featherweight
- Miranda Maverick (-600) vs Shanna Young (+450) – Women’s Flyweight
- Mario Bautista (-295) vs Benito Lopez (+245) – Bantamweight
- Polyana Viana (-120) vs Jinh Yu Frey – Women’s Strawweight
- Ludvik Sholinian (+190) vs Johnny Munoz Jr. (-225) – Bantamweight
- Carlos Candelario (+215) vs Jake Hadley (-255) – Flyweight
- Tamires Vidal (-140) vs Ramona Pascual (+120) – Women’s Bantamweight
