Vanessa Demopoulos has another big opportunity in store next month, but when it comes down to it, it might look a little more personal.
Demopoulos (10-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) will face Emily Ducote (13-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC Fight Night 241 on May 11th. If Demopoulos wins, it will be his fifth win in six matches. She will be in a great position in the women's strawweight division.
But it will have to be against someone she is somewhat familiar with.
“I not only know her well, Emily is a sweetheart,” Demopoulos told MMA Junkie Radio. “She came here to Las Vegas. She trained at Extreme (Couture) and actually, me and her and Hannah Goldie all went hiking to Red Rocks. So we spent some time together. It was a pleasure to get to know her on a personal level.”
Demopoulos trains in Las Vegas and uses the UFC Performance Institute as well as Extreme Couture. She said it has been a big change for her, especially when it comes to her nutrition.
And there is consistency in her coaching, which she believes was missing early in her career.
“I feel like everyone is really on the same page,” she said. “As a principal investigator, having access to food, recovery, strength training, PT, and facilities makes my life so much easier. I was able to be in combat camp and be here in Las Vegas. ”
But for Ducote, this fight camp was about the people he spent time with. And even looking to the future, Zhang Weili, a champion in her division, has a lot of time for herself as a PI.
Demopoulos is confident this situation will happen again, considering it's not the biggest weight class in the UFC and the training in Las Vegas involves many fighters competing at once.
“When I signed the fight, I didn't (call) her. She didn't hit me either,” Demopoulos said. “We both knew from the time she was here that it might happen. It's okay. It's going to happen. Being here in Las Vegas, you get to meet a lot of people, so you know… I think it's almost impossible not to fight against someone who is.”
Demopoulos returned to the win column in October of this year when she defeated Kanako Murata by decision in a match where she was considered the favorite. Earlier this year, her three-fight winning streak was ended by Karolina Kowalkiewicz.
For more information on the card, check out MMA Junkie's UFC Fight Night 241 event hub.
The story originally appeared on MMA Junkie
