Prediction: Tatiana Suarez via Decision
Lemos’ got the power, the sharper striking, and her takedown defense has come a long way compared to earlier in her career. The problem is, Suarez is exactly the type of fighter that makes those improvements look irrelevant. You can stop the first shot or two, maybe even make it look competitive early, but the moment Suarez gets you down, the game changes. And once she’s able to rinse and repeat that process, it breaks opponents mentally as much as physically. That’s what’s going to happen here—Lemos will look fine for a moment, but Suarez will drag her down, control, and make it easier every time she does it.
The path for Suarez is clear: takedowns, top pressure, and suffocating control. The path for Lemos is to somehow land that perfect strike before Suarez gets going, and while she has the tools, the odds of her pulling that off against someone with Suarez’s style are slim. So yeah, Suarez wins, but betting her straight up isn’t the move. The smarter play is looking at method—decision is probably the best option here. Suarez doesn’t take crazy risks, she’s more about dominance and control, and Lemos is tough enough to survive even while losing every round. That’s the angle I like.