Vanessa Demopoulos takes solace in knowing that her road to the UFC was a tough one.
That’s because prior to joining the roster last August, Demopoulos (7-4 MMA, 1-1 UFC) already had competed against the likes of former flyweight title challenger Katlyn Chookagian and surging contenders Sam Hughes and Cheyanne Vlismas.
So after being in there with top-level competition, Demopoulos is fully confident in her abilities as she looks to make a run in the UFC strawweight division.
“I fought Katlyn and Cheyanne when we were still amateurs,” Demopoulos told MMA Junkie Radio. “Katlyn was probably the first fight where I was, like, unrecognizable at the end of it, and it’s not the last time that that had happened unfortunately for me, and I think that developing outside of the UFC and then getting to get to the UFC and knowing, ‘F*ck, I am battle-tested. There is nothing that you’re gonna do to make me quit.’ I know myself inside the cage.
“I know the type of warrior I am, and the world should know what type of warrior I am, and I love that. Sometimes I still end up being underrated. It’s like, OK, whatever. Let’s go. I’ve been here a million times before I got to walk into the UFC cage, and it took me a long time to get to the UFC, but now that I’m here, you better believe not only am I developed as a warrior, but now I’m also developed mentally and spiritually. Like, forget about it. Like, it’s go time.”
Demopoulos’ past fight put her theory to test. “Lil Monster” was dropped by Silvana Gomez Juarez early in their UFC 270 bout in January, but she was able to immediately latch onto an armbar to score the submission win. Not only did she earn a Performance of the Night bonus, but she delivered a memorable post-fight speech when she jumped into Joe Rogan’s arms.
Now Demopoulos will look to continue that momentum when she faces Jinh Yu Frey at UFC Fight Night on June 25.
“I do see these glorious moments unfolding, and it’s only because of all the hard work that I do for myself physically, mentally, emotionally,” Demopoulos said. “All the work that the coaches are putting in with me and just knowing that I’m there everyday doing everything that needs to be done to be successful in this fight.”
‘Battle-tested’ Vanessa Demopoulos feels underrated in UFC, aims to show ‘type of warrior’ she is
