Preview: UFC Fight Night 242 Prelims

Women’s Strawweights

Jaqueline Amorim (8-1, 2-1 UFC) vs. Vanessa Demopoulos (11-5, 5-2 UFC)

ODDS: Amorim (-310), Demopoulos (+250)

This should be an interesting matchup between two strawweight grapplers. Amorim came to the UFC as a highly-touted submission artist, as she finished each of her regional opponents within a round before her first trip to the Octagon in 2023. However, that UFC debut against Sam Hughes showed that the Brazilian still could use some more experience. She looked absolutely electric for a round, but once Hughes survived some early adversity, Amorim offered little as she flagged down the stretch. Amorim has rebounded with a two-fight winning streak, though it’s hard to tell if she has done much to improve her cardio issues. She was flagging again before she managed a third-round finish of Montserrat Ruiz, and what figured to be a tricky pairing against Cory McKenna wound up with Amorim catching her in an armbar in a shade under two minutes. Demopoulos is up next and could be another difficult test, as she continues to overachieve with what should be a dysfunctional game.

Demopoulos’ physical attributes for fighting are a bit odd to begin with. She’s stocky and muscular with an impressive level of flexibility owing to a background in pole dancing. That led to some impressively creative submissions on the regional scene, but while the finishes have mostly dried up for “Lil Monster” inside the UFC, she has managed to find a round-winning style by combining her aggression on the mat with a willingness to swing for power. Demopoulos might not throw with the best form, but it’s enough to keep opponents honest, and it might pay off in this appearance. Demopoulos can sometimes be too willing to hunt for submissions from her back, but if she’s able to simply survive and make Amorim work through a difficult grappling match, she can probably pick up the back half of the fight by swinging for the fences. The pick is Demopoulos via decision.

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Amorim vs. Demopoulos
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