Virna Jandiroba has 31 minutes of control time in last 3 fights
Virna Jandiroba is not the fan favorite fighter coming into this weekend’s bout with Amanda Lemos. What she is, however, is battle tested, difficult to deal with, and ready for a long-awaited opportunity at the division’s elite.
Virna Jandiroba: A silent rise
Very little noise has been made by Virna Jandiroba on her rise to the main event this weekend at the APEX. But what she’s done has been quality and in a sport where winning is all that matters, she’s done that too. With a 20-3 record, Jandiroba has a staggering 13 submission wins. On the ground, she can put people away.
Whats even better, Jandiroba is varied in those 13 submission wins. Rear naked choke, armbar, triangle, arm triangle; these are all ways Jandiroba has finished. They’re nothing fancy like a gogoplata or heel hook, but they’re effective.
Jandiroba has beat some of the best names in the women’s strawweight division as well. Marina Rodriguez, Angela Hill and Felice Herring all have fallen to her pressure and grappling skills. Two of those wins, Hill and Rodriguez, have come on the heels of this three fight winning streak Jandiroba is currently running. She eyes a title shot soon and with a win over Amanda Lemos, that goal becomes more of a reality.
Trips in the path
Virna Jandiroba hasn’t been perfect through her time in the UFC. Undefeated when she came to the promotion, Jandiroba has dropped three high profile fights. Her debut was against the former champion Carla Esparza. She was defeated via unanimous decision and Esparza would go on to win the title for a second time.
Putting two wins in her pocket, Jandiroba took on fan-favorite Mackenzie Dern. Again, Jandiroba came up short, dropping a decision.
Jandiroba scored her first and only career knockout against Kanako Murata in her return and was slated to face Amanda Ribas at UFC 267. Again, she came up short and dropped a decision to another fan-favorite fighter.
The most recent run
Since that loss, Virna Jandiroba has scored her best win streak within the UFC, beating three fights in a row and rising to fifth in the UFC’s women’s strawweight rankings.
These three wins have all come by decision but Jandiroba, who is now 36, has looked fantastic and controlled most of the fights. During these last three fights, Jandiroba has racked up over 31 minutes of control. She doesn’t go out to be exciting, she goes out there to win.
As with Lemos, Jandiroba does not have time on her side. A loss would probably put her out of title contention permanently. Executing is necessary.
