UFC Vegas 52 is in the books. Jessica Andrade made her emphatic return to the strawweight division with a first round submission of Amanda Lemos. That opened up a whole host of title possibilities at 115 pounds. Claudio Puelles also showed his skills with an impressive kneebar submission in the co-main event.

Through the 11 fights on the UFC Vegas 52 card, the Cage Calculus forecast favorites went 8-3, bringing the forecast’s overall record since its inception to 200-117-2. All forecast projections are based on a fighter’s CC rating. You can find out how those ratings are generated HERE. You can view the projections for last week’s fights HERE. The CC Editor’s Picks were 6-5 and the odds-on favorites according to Vegas were 9-2.

2022 Overall Standings

• Cage Calculus Forecast: 97-62
• Cage Calculus Editor Picks: 100-59
• Las Vegas Oddsmakers: 109-50

Without further ado, here’s what we learned from UFC Vegas 52:

Jessica Andrade is Dangerous

We already knew this, but we’re beginning to get a sense for how talented Andrade (#2 CC, #1/fw UFC) truly is. Andrade is winner in three of her last four bouts with all three wins coming by first round stoppage. She’s now tied with Amanda Nunes for the most wins by a female in UFC history. You’d have to go back to September of 2015 to find an instance where Andrade lost to somebody who has never held a UFC title. Andrade is in a different echelon, up with only a handful of UFC women.

She’s calling for a shot at the title. On the merits, it’s hard to deny her, but there’s a lot going on at the top of the strawweight division right now. Champion Rose Namajunas is set to defend in just under two weeks time against former champ, Carla Esparza (#5 CC, #2 UFC). In June, former champs Zhang Weili (#1 CC, #1 UFC) and Joanna Jedrzejczyk (#4 CC, NR UFC) are set to meet again in a grudge match of their all-time great title fight from 2020. And, Marina Rodriguez (#3 CC, #3 UFC) is on an impressive win streak and looks to be awaiting the Namajunas-Esparza winner. We certainly would welcome an Andrade-Rodriguez matchup to settle who deserves the next shot at the belt. Strawweight will be a great division to watch and any conversation that doesn’t have Andrade in the thick of it is not one worth listening to.

Amanda Lemos Was Overhyped Too Soon

Lemos (#8 CC, #10 UFC) had an impressive win streak going. However, a split decision win over Angela Hill (NR CC, #12 UFC) should have been a harbinger of things to come. Lemos showed some good skills with early low kicks. But, once she was wrapped up, Andrade was able to lock in a submission very quickly. Lemos had a promising trajectory, but was not (and, given her age, may never be) ready to face off with someone like Andrade. Lemos will stick around in the top 10, top 15 discussion to be sure, but may not be UFC title material before her career is up.

Watch Out for Claudio Puelles

Puelles has now won each of his last five fights. Three of those five have come via kneebar submission. He is establishing himself as a threat on the ground and may just have earned himself a shot at a ranked opponent the next time he steps into the octagon. With nine finishes over 12 career wins, Puelles also brings excitement, knowing he can end a fight if he can get a hold of you.

The Future Is Back

Maycee “The Future” Barber (#8 CC, #14 UFC) reminded us all why she was once tapped to break Jon Jones’ record as the youngest champ in UFC history. She turned in a dominant performance over Montana De La Rosa (#12 CC, NR UFC), utilizing striking, clinch work, and grappling. She’s now rattled off two straight wins (one being a questionable split decision) and looks poised to resume her rise back up the rankings. Her finish rate is dropping off a bit, but that was to be expected with an increase in the quality of competition.

Keep an Eye on Sergey Khandozhko

Far from a household name, but Khandozhko turned in a stellar performance against seven-fight UFC veteran, Dwight Grant. His CC Rating is slowly creeping upwards, as he is now the 39th ranked UFC welterweight according to the forecaster. A couple more wins should have him within range of the top 15. It may not happen soon, but be on the lookout for this guy to surprise a few people.

Photo Credit: Bleacher Report