Vanessa Demopoulos was very familiar with Maria Oliveira when she was offered to fight her at UFC Vegas 65.
Demopoulos is coming off a split decision win over Jinh Yu Frey and wasn’t sure what was going to be next for her. But, she was adamant she wanted to fight one more time in 2022 which is what happened.
“I love this timeframe, I love staying busy and fighting as much as I can, so this is perfect,” Demopoulos said on Just Scrap Radio on BJPENN.com. “Three to four fights a year is where I want to be.”
When Demopoulos got the fight offer, she was very familiar with Maria Oliveira due to the fact the Brazilian fought Tabatha Ricci – who is friends with Demopoulos in her debut.
“I was extremely familiar with her because one of my friends Tabatha Ricci actually fought her in Oliveira’s debut,” Demopoulos said. “When I got the call I knew who she was and already had done my homework and research on her.”
Given the fact Vanessa Demopoulos was paying close attention to Maria Oliveira’s debut, she is excited about the matchup. Yet, she doesn’t expect the Brazilian to want to go the ground with her, but even if it remains on the feet, Demopoulos is confident she will get her hand raised.
“I definitely don’t see her wanting to go to the ground but I’m not going to discount that. I’m prepared for the ground and I’ve always needed to get ready for striking fights,” Demopoulos said. “With every fight, I’ve always had to work on getting better as a striker. I think a lot of wins have come by knockout. But, it’s also like who have you fought?…
“I see myself going out there and fighting. I don’t look at it like I’m going to submit her or I’m going to knock her out because I know I have a lot of strengths,” Demopoulos later added. “I’m very strong, very skilled, and very well-rounded. I am just going to see how things unfold.”
If Demopoulos gets her hand raised at UFC Vegas 65, she isn’t sure what would be next for her. Yet, she would be on a three-fight win streak so she knows it would be big for her.
“I’m looking forward to moving my career forward and it’s the proper trajectory. I’ve been nothing but prepared for this… Right now, all I care about is Maria, I don’t look at what is next,” Demopoulos concluded.
Do you think Vanessa Demopoulos will beat Maria Oliveira at UFC Vegas 65?