During last weekend’s event, every time Brendan Fitzgerald read the promo for Saturday’s fight card at the UFC Apex, an involuntary smile landed on my face and I felt myself getting excited.

He only mentioned one fight, the main event, and yet there I was, sitting alone in my office, grinning like an idiot because that main event – a clash between Brazilian power punchers Amanda Lemos and Jessica Andrade – is one of the most interesting fights of 2022, and I knew from starting prep on this week’s slate that the rest of the card is full of intrigue and talent as well.

Fitz would read the promo and I would smile.

In a handful of days, Fitz will call the action, and I will be smiling, and you will be, too, because Saturday’s lineup is loaded with goodness. Take a look at the main card at UFC Fight Night 205.

Amanda Lemos vs. Jessica Andrade

Streaking Brazilian Amanda Lemos welcomes former champion and fellow Brazilian Jéssica Andrade back to the strawweight division in a main event pairing that is sure to be explosive and have an impact on how things line up in the championship chase.

Lemos really put it all together in 2021, entering off back-to-back victories and having pushed her winning streak to five while establishing herself as a legitimate threat in the 115-pound weight class. After smothering Livinha Souza in March and lighting up Montserrat Conejo in July, the 34-year-old edged out Angela Hill in December for her third win of the year.

The victory elevated Lemos into the Top 10 and made it clear that she could hang with tenured talents in the strawweight ranks. Now it’s time to find out if she’s ready to challenge for championship gold in the not too distant future.

Andrade exited the division after consecutive losses to Zhang Weili and Rose Namajunas, venturing up to flyweight and instantly positioning herself as a title contender with a first-round stoppage win over Katlyn Chookagian. Like everyone else that has faced Valentina Shevchenko of late, the Brazilian challenger was clearly defeated, but rebounded nicely with a first-round finish of Cynthia Calvillo.

She opted to move back to down to optimize her talents and make another run at the title, and if this second debut at strawweight is anything like her first fight at flyweight, Andrade will make a case for getting hustled to the head of the list of contenders on Saturday night.

This is a terrific matchup because while there are obvious similarities between the two, there are key differences in the way they deploy their weapons inside the cage that should make this a compelling back-and-forth to close out the show. The winner will unquestionably be in the thick of the chase in the strawweight division, with little more than one more win likely standing between them and a championship opportunity.

Clay Guida vs. Claudio Puelles

Lightweights at very different stages of their respective careers share the octagon in this one as 40-year-old veteran Clay Guida steps in with soon-to-be 26-year-old Claudio Puelles on Saturday.

Guida really is the UFC version of The Energizer Bunny – a man in perpetual motion both in his individual appearances and life in general. Last year, Guida competed three times, outworking Michael Johnson in February and submitting Leonardo Santos in December, with a debated split decision loss to Mark O. Madsen sandwiched in between.

Puelles, who celebrates his 26th birthday a couple days before the fight, ended an extended absence in 2021 and instantly showed he’s one to watch in the lightweight division. After handing Jordan Leavitt his first (and only) career loss in June, the Peruvian prospect scored a third-round submission win over Chris Gruetzemacher in December, clamping onto his second kneebar finish in four UFC victories.

Can the young-at-heart Guida add another win to his Hall of Fame resume or will Puelles keep his winning streak going by adding a victory over the experienced veteran this weekend?

Tanner Boser vs. Alexandr Romanov

We shift from the lightest weight class in the company to the heaviest in the co-main event as Canadian Tanner Boser and unbeaten Moldovan Alexandr Romanov lock horns in an intriguing heavyweight battle.

Just three weeks after suffering a split decision loss to Ilir Latifi in a second consecutive fight where he felt he could have done more, Boser went out and put himself back in the win column, overwhelming occasional heavyweight Ovince Saint Preux. The 30-year-old Alberta native has logged a ton of experience to this point in his career and could be primed for a breakout campaign if he’s able to keep his momentum going against Romanov this weekend.

Sporting a perfect 15-0 record, Romanov steps in for Rodrigo Nascimento after being forced out of his original debut assignment opposite Latifi in February. The burly grappler has shown a wide array of takedowns and submissions through his first four UFC appearances, including a forearm choke that put Marcos Rogerio de Lima to sleep.

While each of these men currently reside outside the Top 15, the winner could very well break into the rankings, and should be in a position to face someone with a number next to their name next time out.

Maycee Barber vs. Montana De La Rosa

Talented prospects looking to take the next step forward in their careers clash here as Maycee Barber and Montana De La Rosa do battle in a critical flyweight matchup.

After suffering a serious knee injury in January 2020, Barber returned to action last February, dropping a unanimous decision to Alexa Grasso that left her on a two-fight skid. She got back into the win column with a debated split decision victory over Miranda Maverick in July and looks to really start building momentum again when she steps in with De La Rosa this weekend.

A member of the cast on Season 26 of The Ultimate Fighter, the 27-year-old De La Rosa continues to show improvements each time out. She went unbeaten in 2021, salvaging a majority draw against Mayra Bueno Silva in February before collecting a second-round stoppage win over Ariane Lipski in June, and has quietly gone 5-2-1 through her first eight UFC appearances.

Barber reached the big stage with a ton of fanfare and hype, while De La Rosa crept in as the flyweight division was being built. They’ve each had positive moments and a couple setbacks, so it will be interesting to see which one of them uses this matchup as an opportunity to take a big step forward in the 125-pound weight class.

Sumudaerji vs. Manel Kape

Action shifts to the flyweight division for this one, as Sumudaerji and Manel Kape tangle to see who’s winning streak will continue.

After splitting the first two appearances of his UFC career, Sumudaerji relocated to the 125-pound weight class at the end of 2020 and collected a 44-second knockout win over Malcolm Gordon. He made a quick return to start last year, registering a unanimous decision victory over Zarrukh Adashev, and now the 26-year-old Tibetan Eagle looks to make it three straight on Saturday.

Kape landed on the wrong side of the scorecards in each of his first two UFC appearances, dropping a unanimous decision to Alexandre Pantoja in his debut and a split decision to Matheus Nicolau in his sophomore showing. But he bounced back with a pair of first-round finishes in the second half of 2021 and enters his second year on the roster as a contender in the flyweight division.

Each of these men have shown tremendous finishing abilities at times in their careers, and with a place in the Top 10 likely on the line, don’t be surprised if each comes out looking to make a statement on Saturday. 

Lando Vannata vs Charles Jourdain

As soon as this fight was announced, all I could picture was how the old Looney Tunes cartoons used to show two characters fighting as a rolling cloud of dust with random limbs poking out every now and again.

Sticking with the Looney Tunes theme, Lando Vannata is akin to the Tasmanian devil — a blur of energy, activity, and ferocity that takes brief periods to rest before ramping himself up into a frenzied state once more. He looked outstanding in his divisional debut last May opposite Mike Grundy and looks to make it two straight at featherweight here.

Jourdain has some Daffy Duck to him, in that while he occasionally gets his beak knocked sideways, he’s back out there with the same energy, exuberance, and aggression the next time his name is called. The French-Canadian turned in an emphatic performance against Andre Ewell on the final card of last year and looks to build on it here.

There is no way this fight isn’t entertaining. I know that’s a risky statement, but neither of these guys have ever been in a boring fight individually, and now they’re being locked in the octagon together, so expect action from the outset.

This story first published at UFC.com.