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Vanessa Demopoulos has spent nearly four years in the UFC since stepping in on short notice to face JJ Aldrich at UFC on ESPN 30 in August 2021. While she has struggled to remain consistent, the women's strawweight contender has been among the most active fighters in her division.
'Lil Monster' has competed nine times since joining the promotion, compiling a 5-4 record that includes four victories via decision and one via submission. She is set to make the 10th walk of her UFC career this weekend as she faces Jamey-Lyn Horth to open UFC on ESPN 69.
While Demopoulos has remained active since joining the UFC, her path to the promotion was quite unique. Here's some insight into her past below.
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Was Vanessa Demopoulos a stripper before UFC stardom?
Vanessa Demopoulos fought plenty in her childhood, even getting kicked out of schools. She did not begin training in mixed martial arts until she reached the age of 21.
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The women's strawweight contender reportedly struggled with drugs and homelessness during her teenage years before turning to stripping at 18. She continued her work as an exotic dancer through the beginning of her UFC career before deciding to retire to focus on mixed martial arts six weeks before her second fight in the promotion.
Demopoulos credits her time as a stripper for helping her begin her mixed martial arts career, stating:
"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!"
'Lil Monster' revealed that her skills as a fighter came in handy while she was still working in the strip club, adding:
"I’ve had to choke a couple of guys unconscious at work, you know," she claimed. "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."
Demopoulos enters UFC on ESPN 69 looking to end a two-fight losing streak. Prior to her recent skid, she had won five of her six previous bouts.
