Tag: Lupita Godinez

Lupita Godinez not surprised to be heavy favorite for UFC debut vs. Jessica Penne

Former LFA champ Lupita Godinez is not surprised she’s a heavy favorite entering her promotional debut.

Unlike many UFC newcomers looking to make their debut on short notice, [autotag]Lupita Godinez[/autotag] enters her first fight with the UFC as a heavy favorite.

A former LFA women’s strawweight champion, Godinez (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) is set to compete for the first time under the UFC banner this Saturday at UFC on ESPN 22 in Las Vegas. She’ll take on former UFC title challenger and Invicta FC champion Jessica Penne (12-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) on the prelims.

Many betting sites have Godinez close to a three-to-one favorite. The unbeaten prospect is not surprised she enters her UFC debut under these conditions.

“It doesn’t surprise me given the last fight that I had and the fact that (Penne) hasn’t fought in many years, so I think people are not really sure what to expect from her,” Godinez told MMA Junkie in Spanish.

“I’m mostly thankful for all the people that believe in me and that have been following me since I started and the fans and everyone. I’m relaxed, that doesn’t affect me at all. Obviously, it excites me and motivates me, but this is a fight and anything can happen. I’m not much of a betting person, but I appreciate that people are believing in me.”

Penne hasn’t fought since April 2017. She was suspended by USADA, the UFC’s anti-doping agency partner, for a failed test in March 2017. She was originally given a four-year ban, but later the suspension was reduced to 20 months. The MMA veteran attempted to make a return twice in 2019 but withdrew from both bouts due to injury.

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Although Penne hasn’t fought in almost four years, Godinez recognizes she’s fighting a veteran of the sport who’s a former UFC title challenger. Godinez, who was born in Mexico but now trains in Canada, is grateful she’ll take on a big name for her first UFC fight.

“Yeah, of course, I couldn’t have asked for a better opponent,” Godinez said. “The truth is that I’m really happy for this matchup and that’s it. I’m excited to be sharing the cage with a veteran like her who’s been fighting for many years.”

Godinez feels no pressure ahead of the biggest fight of her young MMA career. She’s campaigned for a shot in the UFC for many months and can’t wait to prove to the UFC fanbase why she’s regarded by some as one of the best prospects in women’s strawweight.

“The truth is that I’m really happy and excited to start this new chapter of my career and I feel very relaxed,” Godinez explained. “This is just another fight for me, but in a different organization and I’m simply going to make more money and get seen by more people. I’m very relaxed and comfortable knowing I have the level to be in there. I’m just going to show it on Saturday.”

https://youtu.be/uTSc9esQFAs

LFA champ Lupita Godinez signs with UFC, meets Jessica Penne on April 17

LFA champ Lupita Godinez will meet former title challenger Jessica Penne in her promotional debut at UFC on ESPN 22.

Newly signed UFC fighter [autotag]Lupita Godinez[/autotag] will get a former title challenger in her octagon debut.

Godinez (5-0 MMA, 0-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Jessica Penne[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 1-3 UFC) at UFC on ESPN 22, which takes place April 17 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup informed MMA Junkie of the booking Thursday, but asked to remain anonymous since the promotion has yet to make an official announcement.

Godinez, a 27-year-old Mexican fighter, is unbeaten in her pro MMA career. She won the strawweight title in her most recent outing when she beat Vanessa Demopoulos by majority decision at LFA 94.

Penne, who originally was slated to face Hannah Goldy this past Saturday at UFC 260, will make her long-awaited return to the octagon. Her bout with Goldy was rebooked for April 17, but Goldy was forced to withdraw due to unknown reasons. Penne is coming off a nearly four-year layoff due to multiple injuries and a lengthy battle with the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency.

With the change, the current UFC on ESPN 22 lineup includes:

  • Kelvin Gastelum vs. Robert Whittaker
  • Bartosz Fabinski vs. Gerald Meerschaert
  • Juan Espino vs. Alexander Romanov
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Jeremy Stephens
  • Parker Porter vs. Chase Sherman
  • Tracy Cortez vs. Justine Kish
  • Austin Hubbard vs. Natan Levy
  • Alex Munoz vs. Luis Pena
  • Bill Algeo vs. Ricardo Ramos
  • Lupita Godinez vs. Jessica Penne
  • Anthony Birchak vs. Tony Gravely
  • Abdul Razak Alhassan vs. Jacob Malkoun
  • Zarah Fairn vs. Josiane Nunes

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LFA 94 results: Lupita Godinez claims title from Vanessa Demopoulos in bloody affair

Lupita Godinez’s superior striking was the difference in claiming the strawweight title from Vanessa Demopoulos in the LFA 94 headliner.

[autotag]Lupita Godinez[/autotag] was en route to claiming the LFA strawweight title from [autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] in a lopsided manner on Friday at LFA 94. She ultimately got the job done, but the champion didn’t give up the strap easily.

Godinez (5-0) dished out some absolutely brutal power-punches, cut her opponent’s face in multiple areas and showed a general striking dominance. Demopoulos (5-3) staged a late rally, though, and inflicted enough damage to convince one judge to score it a draw. The other two saw it in the challenger’s favor, and Godinez earned the majority draw by scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 47-47.

“She’s super tough, honestly I was very surprised,” Godinez said post-fight after her title win. “In the first round I was like, ‘What the hell is this girl made of?’ I’m happy I could prove I go five (rounds), so I can do it all.”

LFA 94 took place at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The card streamed on UFC Fight Pass.

Godinez, a 27-year-old out of Canada, showed disciplined offense early in picking Demopoulos apart from range. The fight started to get so one-sided, in fact, that commentator and former UFC champion Pat Miletich hinted the referee or corner might need to consider saving Demopoulos from more damage.

Demopoulos wasn’t accepting of that, however, and in the championship rounds, showed why she entered with the belt. She connected with some solid blows, bloodying the face of Godinez. She even got top control in the fifth round, but wasn’t able to secure a submission or fight-ending punches for a dramatic comeback.

In the end, it was Godinez who got her hand raised to stay undefeated. Afterward, she made it clear she wants to join the UFC’s 115-pound ranks and prove she’s capable of making waves against the next level of competition.

“I am (the best strawweight outside the UFC),” Godinez said. “I think I deserve to be in the UFC. That’s where I belong.”

Complete LFA 94 results included:

  • Lupita Godinez def. Vanessa Demopoulos via majority decision (49-46, 48-47, 47-47) – to win strawweight title
  • Aaron McKenzie def. Joe Giannetti via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Chase Gibson def. Thai Clark via technical submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 2, 4:18
  • Fernie Garcia def. Ryan Hayes via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
  • Ozzy Diaz def. Logan Woods via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:36
  • Jalin Fuller def. Miles Amos via submission (front choke) – Round 3, 1:59

10 female fighters you can expect to see on Dana White’s Contender Series, Season 4

The return of Dana White’s Contender Series isn’t far off, and here are 10 female fighters who are candidates to appear on the show.

Image via Iridium Sports Agency

Dana White’s Contender Series has become a focal point for fighters on the regional scene. Since its inception in 2017, the UFC Fight Pass-turned-ESPN+ summer original removed some of the guesswork for up-and-comers trying to make it big.

With UFC president Dana White and matchmakers Mick Maynard and Sean Shelby cageside, the stakes are high. Have an impressive, exciting win on the show, and you’re in.

Rumored for a late-June start date, DWCS Season 4 is almost here. The lineups haven’t been announced quite yet, but advanced planning is underway. While there are hundreds of fighters qualified to compete on the show, we’ll be narrowing each divisional pool to 10 fighters you should expect to see on the show this summer.

In the final installment, we feature 10 deserving female fighters …

* * * *

Image via Invicta FC

Erin Blanchfield

Record: 5-1
Age: 20
Height: 5’4″
Birthplace: New York
Weight Class: Flyweight

Six fights into her professional career, [autotag]Erin Blanchfield[/autotag] has only lost once – a close split decision to current UFC fighter Tracy Cortez in February 2019. She’s competed four times under the Invicta FC banner and won three of them. She holds wins over notables Victoria Leonardo and Kay Hansen. She’s finished back-to-back fights by head kick and Americana, which shows her versatility. At 20, there’s no rush. However, Blanchfield is ready to take the next step on DWCS.

Image via Iridium Sports Agency

Lupita Godinez

Record: 4-0
Age: 26
Height: 5’2″
Birthplace: Aguascalientes, Mexico
Weight Class: Strawweight

Born in Mexico, [autotag]Lupita Godinez[/autotag] has taken her talents north, across two borders, into Canada. After wins in the United States and Mexico, Godinez added “The Great White North” to her resume this past November. At BTC 8, Godinez won the promotion’s vacant bantamweight title, going all five rounds against home-country fighter Lindsay Garbatt. Although it’s fairly early on in Godinez’s career, DWCS would be a great gauge to see where she is at. If worse comes to worst, she’ll need to go back to the regional scene for more sharpening. Regardless, the learning experience of DWCS will help her as she progresses.

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