Virna Jandiroba’s Lemos Submission Helped Build a Title
Virna Jandiroba submitted Amanda Lemos with an armbar on July 20, 2024, finishing their UFC main event at 4:48 of the second round. The victory extended her winning streak to four and helped carry her toward a later strawweight championship opportunity.
A championship background before the UFC
Jandiroba won the Invicta strawweight championship in 2018 and defended it once before joining the UFC. Her promotional debut came against Carla Esparza on April 27, 2019, and ended in a decision defeat.
She subsequently built experience against the division’s established contenders. A December 2020 meeting with Mackenzie Dern also went the distance, with Dern winning that first encounter.
Four victories changed her position
Jandiroba defeated Angela Hill by unanimous decision on May 14, 2022, then outpointed Marina Rodriguez on May 6, 2023. Another unanimous decision, against Loopy Godinez on March 30, 2024, made it three consecutive wins.
The Lemos submission added a finish to that sequence. It also provided a main-event victory over an opponent who had previously challenged for the UFC strawweight championship.
A fifth win and a Dern rematch
Jandiroba defeated Yan Xiaonan by unanimous decision on April 12, 2025, extending the run to five victories. She then faced Dern for the vacant UFC strawweight title at UFC 321 on October 25 in Abu Dhabi.
Dern won their five-round rematch by unanimous decision. Jandiroba’s championship challenge ended in defeat after the winning sequence that had included her decisive submission against Lemos.
Sources
- UFC: Lemos submission method and finish time
- UFC: Invicta background and dated fight history
- UFC: five-fight winning streak and vacant-title defeat to Dern
