Tag: Vanessa Demopoulos

Vanessa Demopoulos to appeal UFC Fight Night 242 loss to Jaqueline Amorim

Did referee Jacob Montalvo miss a glove grab? Vanessa Demopoulos’ team thinks so – and is pursuing an appeal.

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] will appeal her UFC Fight Night 242 on the basis of a missed foul, according to her representation.

At Saturday’s event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Demopoulos (11-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) was submitted by a Jaqueline Amorim (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) armbar. During the set-up sequence, Demopolous could be heard on the broadcast telling referee Jacob Montalvo that Amorim was grabbing the inside of her glove – something she reiterated to the official after she tapped.

A replay appeared to show Amorim’s fingers in the vicinity of the glove opening. Commission officials huddled around a monitor before and after the official reading of the decision.

The result currently has Amorim as the victor, but Demopoulos will appeal the decision to the Nevada Athletic Commission (NAC).

“We’re in the process of appealing the result of Vanessa Demopoulos’ contest with Jaqueline Amorim on Saturday at UFC Vegas 97,” Iridium Sports Agency associate agent Lance Spaude said in a written statement Monday to MMA Junkie. “The broadcast clearly shows Jaqueline illegally grabbing and manipulating Vanessa’s gloves, which prevented Vanessa from turning in to Jaqueline and directly enabled Jaqueline to transition to the armbar which ended the match.”

According to the Unifed Rules of Mixed Martial Arts, glove-grabbing is illegal.

“A fighter may not control their opponent’s movement by holding onto their opponent’s shorts or gloves,” the Unified Rules state. “A fighter may hold onto or grab their opponent’s hand as long as they are not controlling the hand only by using the material of the glove, but by actually gripping the hand of the opponent. It is legal to hold onto your own gloves or shorts.”

Amorim denied any wrongdoing when she spoke with MMA Junkie during her post-fight news conference minutes after the finish.

“She was saying that I was holding the gloves or something and she was in the middle of the transition, but I wasn’t,” Amorim said. “They say keep going – don’t stop. There’s no holding, and I kept going to try the submission. We didn’t exchange any words. I knew she was having her moment (to protest), and that’s fine.

“I was holding over the the gloves, together. My corner said they looked at (the replay), and I wasn’t. I heard the commission was taking a look and they said it was fine and nothing was holding. So for me, it’s fine. I have a clear conscience. I did the right thing.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

UFC Fight Night 242 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Gilbert Burns, Jessica Andrade net $21,000

UFC Fight Night 242 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 242 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $157,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 242 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 242 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Natalia Silva[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Steve Garcia[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kyle Nelson[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Matt Schnell[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Yanal Ashmouz[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Trevor Peek[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Chris Padilla[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Rong Zhu[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Isaac Dulgarian[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Brendon Marotte[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Andre Lima[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Felipe dos Santos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Gabriel Santos[/autotag]: $4,000
[autotag]Yi Zha[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Jaqueline Amorim[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Andre Petroski[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dylan Budka[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Nathan Fletcher[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Zygimantas Ramaska[/autotag]: $4,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2421 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,482,000
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $28,219,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

Vanessa Demopoulos aims to display ‘extreme power’ at UFC Fight Night 242, break into rankings

Vanessa Demopoulos claims her “skills are just really incredible,” and expects to break into rankings at UFC Fight Night 242.

More comfortable and confident in her position as a UFC fighter than ever before, [autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] thinks she is on the cusp of starting her run to the top of the strawweight division.

With five victories in her past six octagon appearances, Demopoulos (11-5 MMA, 5-2 UFC) looks to keep her momentum going when she takes on Jaqueline Amorim (8-1 MMA, 2-1 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 242, which takes place Sept. 7 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas (ESPN+).

Demopoulos isn’t getting ahead of herself when it comes to career expectations, but sees big things on the horizon for herself as long as she continues down her current path.

“I have extreme power – my skills are just really incredible – I’m an amazing martial artist,” Demopoulos told MMA Junkie Radio. “I’m very complete. I have high-level black belt jiu-jitsu, I have high-level striking. I’m outstriking the strikers, I’m outgrappling the grapplers. I’m going up against world class people in each field, and beating them every time. I feel like I’m extremely well-rounded, but I’m also extremely powerful too for this division.

“I think I have a few more fights until I start thinking about champ status. First I want to get into the rankings. That would be nice. Then I can start climbing my way into bigger goals like that.”

Demopoulos, 35, got something of a late start in her MMA career, but she has caught up well. She said she is “very excited” by the task of taking on Amorim, who is a fellow former LFA champion and comes from a similar background of competitive jiu-jitsu and grappling.

Although Amorim had the more decorated grappling career, Demopoulos said she has no fear of anything her opponent presents.

“I didn’t even shutter (to accept the fight),” Demopoulos said. “I was immediately like, ‘Yes. Give me her. Please. Sign me up.’ I know she was also the LFA champion and I was the LFA champion prior. We both came from the jiu-jitsu scene. She has had more accolades from winning world titles than I have, and that’s cool. But I’ve medaled in almost every world title that I have embarked on. I took a little bit of a different path than she did. She stayed in the jiu-jitsu community and I started focusing more on MMA.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.

MMA Junkie Radio #3492: Vanessa Demopoulos interview, 2024 PFL Playoffs 3 and UFC on ESPN 62 recap, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”

Monday’s episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,492, the guys welcome in UFC strawweight [autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]. The fellas also recap this past weekend’s 2024 PFL Playoffs 3 and UFC on ESPN 62 events. Tune in!

UFC Fight Night 241 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $26 million

UFC Fight Night 241 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

LAS VEGAS – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 241 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $158,500.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC Fight Night 241 took place at the UFC Apex. The entire card streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC Fight Night 241 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Edson Barboza[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Khaos Williams[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Themba Gorimbo[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Ramiz Brahimaj[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Adrian Yanez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Vinicius Salvador[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Angela Hill[/autotag]: $21,000
def. [autotag]Luana Pinheiro[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Tom Nolan[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Victor Martinez[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Oumar Sy[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Tuco Tokkos[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Melissa Gatto[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Tamires Vidal[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Abus Magomedov[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Warlley Alves[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Ariane Carnelossi[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Piera Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Heili Alateng[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Kleydson Rodrigues[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Emily Ducote[/autotag]: $4,500

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2411 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $42,000 while title challengers get $32,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2024 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $3,264,500
2023 total: $8,188,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $26,001,500

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

Vanessa Demopoulos prepared to get used to familiarity with UFC opponents like Emily Ducote

UFC women’s strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos has another big opportunity in front of her next month.

[autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] has another big opportunity in front of her next month, and from here on out when those happen, they might seem a little more personal.

Demopoulos (10-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Emily Ducote (13-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 11. For Demopoulos, a win would give her five in six fights – which would put her in great position in the women’s strawweight division.

But it will have to come against someone she’s got some familiarity with.

“Not only do I know a lot about her – Emily’s a sweetheart,” Demopoulos told MMA Junkie Radio. “She came here to Las Vegas. She trained over at Xtreme (Couture) and, in fact, me, her and Hannah Goldy all went hiking together over at Red Rock. So we’ve spent a little bit of time together. It was nice to kind of get to know her on a little bit of a personal level.”

Demopoulos has been training in Las Vegas, where she utilizes not only Xtreme Couture, but the UFC Performance Institute. She said that has been a game-changer for her, especially when it comes to nutrition.

Then there’s the consistency in her coaching, which she thinks was missing earlier in her career.

“I feel like everybody’s really on the same page,” she said. “Being a part of the PI and being able to have access to my food, have access to recovery, have access to the strength and conditioning, the PT, the facility – it just makes my life so much easier being in fight camp and being able to be here in Las Vegas.”

This fight camp, though, for Ducote was for someone she’s spent time with. And even looking down the road, her division’s champion, Zhang Weili, spends a lot of time at the PI, herself.

In a division that isn’t the biggest in the UFC, and given her training in Las Vegas where so many fighters come through at one point or another, Demopoulos is confident this situation will happen again.

“When we got the fight contract, it’s not like I (called) her out. She didn’t hit me up, either,” Demopoulos said. “We both knew that it might happen even while she was here. It’s OK. It’s going to happen. I feel like for being here in Las Vegas, we see so many people, it would be almost impossible for me not to fight somebody that I knew.”

Demopoulos got back in the win column this past October with a decision over Kanako Murata in a fight in which Murata was a decent favorite. Earlier in the year, she had a three-fight winning streak snapped by Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 241.

MMA Junkie Radio #3457: UFC guest Vanessa Demopoulos, Jon Jones news, Cain Velasquez, BKFC, more

Check out the latest episode of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze.”


Thursday’s edition of MMA Junkie Radio with “Gorgeous” George and “Goze” is here.

On Episode 3,457, the guys bring on UFC women’s strawweight [autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag], who fights Emily Ducote next month in Las Vegas. They also discussed the latest news, including Jones Jones’ return, Justin Gaethje, BKFC, Jose Aldo and much more. Tune in!

Matchup Roundup: New UFC, PFL, Bellator fights announced in the past week (Feb. 5-11)

Check out the UFC, PFL, and Bellator fights that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC, PFL, and Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Feb. 5-11.

UFC books Vanessa Demopoulos vs. Emily Ducote for May Fight Night event

An exciting strawweight bout between Vanessa Demopoulos and Emily Ducote is heading for a UFC Fight Night event in May.

The UFC is filling out its May slate of fights, and has added a fun strawweight matchup to the mix.

At a UFC Fight Night event on May 18, Vanessa Demopoulos will take on Emily Ducote. The event does not yet have a confirmed location or venue, but MMA Junkie has confirmed with two sources that contracts have been signed by both fighters.

Demopoulos (10-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will look to keep her winning momentum going after a unanimous decision win over Kanako Murata in October. The result marked a return to the win column after a unanimous decision loss to Karolina Kowalkiewicz, which snapped a three-fight winning streak over Silvana Gomez Juarez, Jinh Yu Frey and Maria Oliveira.

Ducote (13-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) also enters the contest on the heels of victory. “Gordinha” secured a unanimous decision win in October against Ashley Yoder, returning to .500 in her four-fight UFC tenure. A pair of setbacks against Angela Hill and Lupita Godinez followed a debut victory over Jessica Penne.

No other bouts for the May 18 event have been confirmed at this time.

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Vanessa Demopoulos wants respect after another underdog win at UFC Fight Night 229

Vanessa Demopoulos won for the fourth time in five fights at UFC Fight Night 229 and wants a spot in the top 15 rankings.

LAS VEGAS – [autotag]Vanessa Demopoulos[/autotag] beat Kanako Murata with a unanimous decision Saturday on the preliminary card at UFC Fight Night 229 at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas.

Take a look inside the fight with Demopoulos, who won for the fourth time in five fights.