UFC’s Vanessa Demopoulos expressed strong frustration over her recent controversial loss, feeling she was cheated and let down by the officiating.
In an interview on the On The Edge podcast, Demopoulos described a pivotal moment in her fight where she claims her opponent illegally grabbed the inside of her glove, preventing her from escaping a submission attempt.
“She grabs my glove and that is an illegal foul,” Demopoulos explained. “Not only did the referee choose not to see it, he also chose not to hear me as I’m screaming ‘she’s in my glove, she’s in my glove.'”
Demopoulos said the illegal grip lasted over 10 seconds, allowing her opponent to secure an armbar position. She was then forced to tap out or risk serious injury.
“It was disheartening to me not because I felt like I lost, but because I felt like I got cheated,” she said. “I’ve lost before. I’ve never been cheated like this and that is a different feeling.”
The fighter expressed feeling let down by both the commissioner and referee, who claimed he didn’t see the foul despite it being clearly visible.
“Not only are you blind but you’re also deaf,” Demopoulos said of the referee’s failure to acknowledge her verbal protests during the fight.
While accepting that her opponent may resort to cheating tactics, Demopoulos felt the officials had a responsibility to catch and prevent such fouls. The controversial loss has clearly left her feeling wronged and frustrated with the officiating.
Despite the setback, Demopoulos remains focused on her UFC career and is hoping to book her next fight in the coming months as she looks to rebound from the disputed defeat.
UFC strawweight contender Vanessa Demopoulos recently expressed her relief after quitting her 13-year career as an exotic dancer to fully focus on her MMA journey. Demopoulos, who had previously split her time between dancing and fighting, revealed that this dual focus hindered her ability to commit fully to the sport.
“It’s the first time I’ve ever been able to be completely immersed in the thing I love doing so very much. 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.” Demopoulos said.
She explained that working as a pole dancer and a professional athlete at the same time made her lose focus.
