UFC on ESPN 15 Prelims: Amanda Lemos Withstands Mizuki Inoue, Posts Unanimous Decision

Lemos wins by UD. #UFCVegas7 pic.twitter.com/z9QGU8GjUa

— UFC (@ufc) August 23, 2020

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Amanda Lemos simply had more weapons at her disposal.

The former Jungle Fight champion deepened her footprint in the Ultimate Fighting Championship strawweight division, as she took a unanimous decision from Mizuki Inoue in the featured UFC on ESPN 15 prelim on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. All three judges scored it 30-27 for Lemos (8-1-1, 2-1 UFC), who won for the third time in four appearances.

Lemos floored the Japanese standout with a chopping right hand in the first round and landed the cleaner strikes throughout the 15-minute battle. Inoue (14-6, 1-1 UFC) responded with a stifling clinch and trapped her Brazilian counterpart along the fence repeatedly, but she failed to do enough damage in close quarters to curry favor with the judges.

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Undefeated Wright Stops Villanueva

Dynamix MMA rep Jordan Wright forced a cut-induced doctor stoppage against Isaac Villanueva in the first round of their light heavyweight pairing. A late replacement for Jorge Gonzalez, the undefeated Wright (11-0, 1-0 UFC) drew the curtain 1:31 into Round 1.

Villanueva (17-11, 0-2 UFC) never got out of the starting block. Wright knocked him down with a wheel kick inside the first 30 seconds, lured the Fury Fighting Championship titleholder into the clinch and connected a series of devastating knees to the face, one of which split open the brow above his right eye. Blood poured from the gaping wound, and referee Jason Herzog motioned for the cageside physician. Soon after, Villanueva was declared unfit to continue.

Wright, 28, has delivered 10 of his 11 career wins via first-round finish.

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Newcomer Semelsberger Outpoints Minus

Bursts of power punches, damaging kicks and superior grappling carried Crazy 88 MMA export Matt Semelsberger to a unanimous decision over Carlton Minus in a three-round welterweight encounter. All three cageside judges scored it for Semelsberger (7-2, 1-0 UFC): 30-26, 30-27 and 29-28.

Minus (10-2, 0-1 UFC) answered his opponent’s aggression with some of his own, but he lacked the necessary zip. Semelsberger wobbled him in the first round and dropped him with a right hook in the second, where he advanced to the back and secured his position with a body triangle before fishing for a rear-naked choke. Though Minus withstood his efforts and returned to his feet, he failed to turn the tide in his favor. Round 3 was closely contested, but Semelsberger drew the Professional Fighters League alum into wild exchanges where his power advantage held sway.

The 27-year-old Semelsberger has rattled off four straight victories.

Replacement Jones Shocks Valiev

Former Pacific Xtreme Combat champion Trevin Jones put away Timur Valiev with punches in the second round of their catchweight clash at 140 pounds. A short-notice substitution for Mark Streigl, Jones (13-6, 1-0 UFC) brought it to a shocking conclusion 1:59 into Round 1.

The heavily favored Valiev (16-3, 0-1 UFC) dominated the first five minutes with jabs, sharp right hands and kicks to the head, body and legs. He doubled over Jones with a front kick to the solar plexus, flurried with punches in a bid to finish and had the Guamanian teetering on the brink along the fence. Jones managed to survive, settled in after his brush with adversity and uncorked a beautiful counter right hook in the second round. Valiev hit the deck, where he was showered with punches and hammerfists until referee Chris Tognoni had seen enough.

The loss snapped Valiev’s six-fight winning streak.