Athletes
Alexia Thainara Gets Her Moment In The Spotlight
Ascending Brazilian Talks Critical Matchup With Amanda Lemos
Of the 40 athletes that earned contracts on Season 8 of Dana White’s Contender Series and have stepped into the Octagon, a dozen remain undefeated under the UFC banner. One headlines this weekend (Quillan Salkilld), and another had a star-making performance in the co-main event of last weekend’s all-action bonanza in Belgrade, Serbia, (Navajo Stirling) and a handful are still in the early days of their journeys.
Some, like Ateba Gautier and Jacobe Smith, are rightfully lauded for their early successes and upside, and others like Kevin Vallejos and David Martinez are celebrated for having already cracked the rankings, but the lone woman on the list, Alexia Thainara, continues to fly under the radar.
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Perfect through her first three trips into the Octagon and stationed inside the top-15 in the strawweight division, Thainara has been one of the more consistently dominant competitors to emerge from the talent-rich eighth season as she approaches her matchup with Amanda Lemos on August 8.
“It’s been two years of hard training, hard sacrifices, but I’m very happy,” she said. “Training is my life and the UFC is my life.”
The energetic Brazilian made a statement in her first UFC start, venturing to London and submitting beloved Scouser Molly McCann in the first round of what turned out to be McCann’s swan song. Six months later, she ventured to Perth and took down Loma Lookboonmee, literally dragging the Thai fighter to the canvas multiple times throughout the contest on the way to a second straight win, punching her ticket to the rankings.
Earlier this year, she further solidified her standing as an ascending talent by registering another six takedowns in her decisive win over compatriot Bruna Brasil in Seattle. But as good as her performances have been, Thainara knows that this weekend’s pairing with a former title challenger in Lemos is the first one that really jumps off the page.
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“It’s very important for me,” she said. “It shows me I’m in the eyes of the UFC and I’m a real prospect.”
This is the kind of matchup that highlights how the UFC views the talented 28-year-old, who has only won a dozen straight overall dating back to 2019.
The strawweight division is in an odd position at the moment, with former champ Zhang Weili’s future plans unknown, a number of divisional stalwarts looking to hold on to their place in the hierarchy, and young talents like Thainara and Fatima Kline making steady progress up the rankings. Regardless of whether you’re viewing the Meta or the media rankings, this is a matchup of two top-15 talents and a potential changing of the guard bout, one that will have an immediate and important impact on the division’s landscape heading into the final quarter of 2026.
“It’s awesome,” Thainara said. “I left home with a backpack and a dream, and now I’m here. It’s so good to know this and I’m gonna go even further… It’s really important. To come with a victory off a veteran athlete will be really important for my career.”
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Lemos arrives in Las Vegas at an interesting crossroads, having managed just two wins over her last six appearances, but with her setbacks coming against Zhang in a title fight, recent title challengers Virna Jandiroba and Tatiana Suarez, and Gillian Robertson, who is set to face Mackenzie Dern for the strawweight title next weekend in Philadelphia at UFC 330.
Her last win came in a comparable matchup against another Brazilian, Iasmin Lucindo, at UFC 313, making it difficult to forecast how things may play out this weekend.
What is easy to project, however, is what fans can anticipate when Thainara makes the walk and steps into the fire on Saturday.
“The fans can expect a happy Alexia with her hopes at the tip of her gloves,” laughed Thainara, who shares the same kind of energetic personality as her training partner, Amanda Ribas.
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Despite mixed results, beating Lemos still carries weight, and if Thainara is able to do so with the level of dominance she’s exhibited over her first three starts, the stylish and streaking Contender Series alum will take another big step forward in the division.
So is there anyone in particular that Thainara would like to face next?
“Let’s see what God, ‘Uncle Dana’ and Alex, my manager, have for me,” she said with a laugh. “I just love to fight. I’m happy out there.”
That part was never in question.
UFC Fight Night: Gamrot vs Salkilld took place live from Meta APEX in Las Vegas, Nevada on August 8, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!