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Vanessa Demopoulos: Ex-Stripper Turned UFC Star Talks Title Dreams and Unruly Customers

Vanessa Demopoulos: Ex-Stripper Turned UFC Star Talks Title Dreams and Unruly Customers Strawweight standout Vanessa Demopoulos returns to the Octagon this Saturday night seeking her sixth career win inside the Octagon…

Strawweight standout Vanessa Demopoulos returns to the Octagon this Saturday night seeking her sixth career win inside the Octagon and 12th overall.

A winner in four of her last five, ‘Lil Monster’ has won over a legion of fight fans with her bubbly personality and her signature celebration that sees her jump into the arms of her post-fight interviewer, whether that be Joe Rogan, Michael Bisping, or Daniel Cormier.

It’s been a long road for the 35-year-old Ohio native to get to this point in her life. Just two years ago, Demopoulos was working as an exotic dancer even as she made her Octagon debut against JJ Aldrich in the summer of 2021.

“I’ve always been a tough cookie,” Demopoulos told talkSPORT.com in May 2023. “I used to fight a lot when I was in school and I actually got kicked out of a lot of schools for fighting when I was young. When I turned 18, I started dancing as a stripper, as a pole dancer, and then someone saw me in the club and said, ‘If you put that same skill that you put towards pole dancing into fighting, you might do something with it.’

“So, I was like, ‘Cool. Teach me how to fight.’ That was when I was 21 years old, and I never looked back. I loved it! “

Juggling the two careers was quite the challenge, but Demopoulos admits that her MMA skills came in handy from time to time at the gentleman’s club.

“I’ve had to choke a couple of guys unconscious at work, you know. They would try to run off on me without paying me or something and didn’t know they were messing with the wrong chick. They’d end up waking up and politely giving me my money. That was really cool. So, I doubled up as a bouncer at work. The bouncers said they didn’t have to worry about me because I was gonna handle my business.”

Vanessa Demopoulos knew that focusing on fighting full-time would be a huge financial risk

After finding success and financial freedom as a dancer for 13 years, ‘Lil Monster’ knew walking away to focus on fighting would be a huge risk.

So far, it’s worked out for her. Now that she’s got a few wins behind her and a solid fanbase, she’s focused on working her way up the strawweight rankings with hopes of one day challenging current champion Zhang Weili.

“This is my dream and I get to chase them now. I didn’t have the financial means at the time when I walked away and I was really scared, honestly,” Demopoulos said. “I believed in myself, and I trusted my skillset. I trusted myself and I knew that I was going to be able to make something of this. I didn’t want to split my effort anymore.

“One day I will be the champion and I’m working towards that. I know that in my heart, in my soul. I work for that every single day. This is all I think about.”

Demopoulos will face Jaqueline Amorim at UFC Vegas 97 this weekend. Amorim carries with her an impressive 8-1 record including four straight wins under the UFC banner. As a result, she is listed as a 3-to-1 favorite to come out on top.

Vanessa Demopoulos: ‘I Wrote The Bible For Strippers’

The background of UFC strawweight prospect Vanessa Demopoulos is colorful, to say the least. With just four fights in her UFC career so far, Demopoulos has made quite the impression on fans for her fun style and personality, as well as her interesting …

Continue Reading Vanessa Demopoulos: ‘I Wrote The Bible For Strippers’ at MMA News.

UFC Fighter Vanessa Demopoulos Faced a Sumo Wrestler; The Results Were Hilarious

UFC’s ‘Lil Monster’ Vanessa Demopoulos has made her first, and likely last foray into sumo wrestling. Reminiscent of the UFC’s early days when weight classes were unheard of, the strawweight competitor decided to test her skills against Egyptian sumo wrestler Ramy Elgazar. Tipping the scales at 499 pounds, Elgazar outweighs Demopoulos by more than 380 […]

UFC’s ‘Lil Monster’ Vanessa Demopoulos has made her first, and likely last foray into sumo wrestling.

Reminiscent of the UFC’s early days when weight classes were unheard of, the strawweight competitor decided to test her skills against Egyptian sumo wrestler Ramy Elgazar. Tipping the scales at 499 pounds, Elgazar outweighs Demopoulos by more than 380 pounds. Needless to say, the sparring match did not go Demopoulos’ way.

Posting a video clip of the brief, but entertaining encounter on Instagram, Vanessa Demopoulos stated that “size doesn’t matter,” but the way things played out, she may have been mistaken. At the start of the contest, ‘Lil Monster’ jumps into the arms of Elgazar with something akin to professional wrestling. Perhaps she was going for a cross-body block or a hurricanrana, but neither worked out in her favor. Instead, Demopoulos was playfully launched head over heels and slammed back down onto the mat. The smile on her face following the slam clearly showed the two were just having some fun.

“It was an honor to wrestle World Class Professional Sumo Wrestlers,” said Demopolous in her post on social media.

Vanessa Demopoulos is Riding High Following Back-to-Back Wins in the Octagon

Despite a loss in Dana White‘s Contender Series, Vanessa Demopoulos was given an opportunity to compete at a UFC Fight Night event in August 2021. On that night she fell to opponent JJ Aldrich via unanimous decision. When it seemed like her UFC career had been cut short, ‘Lil Monster’ got the call to face Silvana Gómez Juárez five months later at UFC 270.

Scoring a first-round submission via armbar, Demopoulos famously jumped into the arms of Joe Rogan during her post-fight interview. ‘Lil Monster’ replicated the celebration with Michael Bisping in June following a split decision win over Jinh Yu Frey.

Following the win, Vanessa Demopoulos confirmed that she would be back in the Octagon before the end of 2022, but was going to take her family on vacation first.

“I’m looking forward to fighting in MMA prior to the end of the year,” said Demopoulos while speaking to Cageside Press. “Right now, my full focus is being able to go on this vacation with my family, which I promised them for so many years now, that as soon as I made it to the UFC, I’ll go to Greece with you guys. So that’s coming up at the end of this month. I couldn’t be happier to spend family time, and then once I get back, I’m gonna be right back into gear and ready to rock n’ roll.”

EXCLUSIVE | Vanessa Demopoulos Expresses Relief Of Quitting Stripping

UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos feels a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders ahead of her third UFC booking. Demopoulos is set to face Jinh Yu Frey at UFC Vegas 57 this Saturday, June 25th. She made a name for herself amongst UFC fans after a win over Silvana Gómez Juárez at UFC 270,…

Continue Reading EXCLUSIVE | Vanessa Demopoulos Expresses Relief Of Quitting Stripping at MMA News.

UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos feels a weight has been lifted off of her shoulders ahead of her third UFC booking.

Demopoulos is set to face Jinh Yu Frey at UFC Vegas 57 this Saturday, June 25th. She made a name for herself amongst UFC fans after a win over Silvana Gómez Juárez at UFC 270, jumping into the arms of interviewer Joe Rogan just minutes after her first-round submission.

Demopoulos revealed that she quit her previous career path, stripping and pole dancing, just weeks before arguably the biggest win of her career over Juárez. She became the latest UFC fighter to admit to a part-time job alongside training and fighting MMA.

During an exclusive interview with MMA News, Demopoulos explained the relief she feels to be all-in now when it comes to mixed martial arts.

“It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to be completely immersed in the thing I love doing so very much,” Demopoulos said. “It’s been completely life-changing for me, this camp especially being at Fight Ready and just being able to give my all to the thing that I love. Every time I’ve ever fought, I’ve only been like half in, half out. That’s not because of anything for me mentally, but because I had to split my time. I had to split my attention between the other job I had. It’s been a huge difference for me.”

Before making it to the big stage in the UFC, Demopoulos fought current UFC standouts such as Loopy Godinez and Sam Hughes. This came as she ground her way in a separate entertainment role.

Now that Demopoulos is fully focused on fighting, she’s looking to embrace the dreams of many. The dream of pursuing what you love and placing your full attention on your biggest passion in life.

What is your reaction to our interview with Vanessa Demopoulos?

Continue Reading EXCLUSIVE | Vanessa Demopoulos Expresses Relief Of Quitting Stripping at MMA News.

Vanessa Demopoulos Names UFC Fighter Who Would Be A Good Stripper

UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos believes that Johnny Walker would make the best stripper out of current UFC fighters. Demopoulos is a former dancer herself and quit stripping just before her recent and first win inside the organization at UFC 270. The American had previously been performing pole dancing for a 13-year stint. Following that victory…

Continue Reading Vanessa Demopoulos Names UFC Fighter Who Would Be A Good Stripper at MMA News.

UFC strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos believes that Johnny Walker would make the best stripper out of current UFC fighters.

Demopoulos is a former dancer herself and quit stripping just before her recent and first win inside the organization at UFC 270. The American had previously been performing pole dancing for a 13-year stint.

Following that victory at UFC 270 where she submitted her opponent Silvana Gomez Juarez in the first round, she grabbed the attention of fans when the 33-year-old showcased her acrobatic ability. She performed the splits in the center of the Octagon before jumping into the arms of Joe Rogan in jubilation following her win.

She has now spoken on who she believes would make the best stripper out of the current roster of fighters within the UFC.

Demopoulos: Johnny Walker Has A “Stripper Vibe To Him”

Speaking to Fansided MMA’s podcast ‘Jab, Cross, Hook‘, Demopoulos claimed Johnny Walker would make the most out of a career in the industry.

“I feel like Johnny Walker has a little bit of a stripper vibe to him,” Demopoulos said. “He’s got the personality, he’s always dancing, he’s got the moves. Definitely Johnny Walker, he’s on the best stripper list.”

Johnny Walker is set to make his UFC return this weekend coming off his main event loss last time out against fellow countryman Thiago Santos back in October.

The Brazilian is taking on Jamahal Hill in the main event of this weekend’s UFC Vegas 48 card and will be looking to now gather some momentum inside the light heavyweight division. Walker has struggled for consistency as of late, but a win over rising prospect Hill would most definitely see the 29-year-old back on track.

Meanwhile, Demopoulos herself will be looking to gather some momentum now off the back of her win as she establishes her name in the organization. Her jaw-dropping victory last time out was enough to earn the strawweight a ‘Performance of the Night’ bonus ensuring an extra $50,000 to her paycheck that night.

Who do you think would make the best stripper out of the current crop of UFC talent?

Continue Reading Vanessa Demopoulos Names UFC Fighter Who Would Be A Good Stripper at MMA News.

Vanessa Demopoulos Credits BJJ Expertise To Her Time As A Pole Dancer

Rallying from a massive knockdown against Silvana Gomez Juarez on the preliminary card of UFC 270 last weekend, Ohio grappling expert, Vanessa Demopoulos, scored an impressive first round armbar win. And has credited her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu ability to her time as a stripper and exotic dancer. Demopoulos, who improved to 7-4 as a professional mixed […]

Demopoulos, who improved to 7-4 as a professional mixed martial artist at UFC 270, is a former LFA strawweight champion, and secured her first UFC victory on Saturday with her rallying performance against Gomez Juarez.

Finding herself on the receiving end of a massive, clubbing overhand right, Demopoulos suffered a heavy knockdown, before recovering guard.

Attempting to setup a submission off of her back, Demopoulos then swept Gomez Juarez eventually, before forcing a timely tap courtesy of an armbar.

Vanessa Demopoulos scored her seventh professional win at UFC 270 on Saturday

A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu brown belt under Giva Santana, Demopoulos, who earned her UFC call last year, revealed she handed in her resignation notice in the weeks leading up to her fight, quitting her profession as a stripper and exotic dancer in a bid to pursue a professional mixed martial arts career on a full-time basis.

“I don’t think it’s a secret – I was an exotic entertainer for 13 years and I didn’t actually say it on the mic, but I’d like to say it right now: I walked away from being a stripper to continue this camp,” Vanessa Demopoulos told assembled media post-fight during the UFC 270 press conference. “I quit dancing about six to eight weeks ago just so I could focus full-time on MMA, take this extremely seriously in the gym every single day.”

Attributing her grappling ability to her time as a pole dancer, Demopoulos lodged her fourth submission win against Gomez Juarez at UFC 270.

“A lot of my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu actually comes from my expertise as a pole dancer,” Vanessa Demopoulos said.

Following her victory over Gomez Juarez, an ecstatic, Demopoulos completed her post-fight Octagon interview by leaping into the arms of long time color-commentator, Joe Rogan, resulting in a viral moment across social media.