Vanessa Demopoulos returns to the cage later this month at LFA 103, with a new focus, a new opponent, and a new Instagram handle. The latter of which has something of a story behind it.
“I was getting a lot of publicity, and I was getting a lot of followers, a lot of fans,” the Contender Series alum and former LFA strawweight champ told us recently. “And then all of a sudden ‘boom,’ my Instagram is suddenly disabled because of some really awesome drama I was having with Dillon Danis.”
Demopoulos had previously offered to train boxer Ryan Garcia to fight Danis, and suggested Garcia could “beat the brakes” off the black belt. Things apparently escalated from there.
“It’s my fault, I’ll take accountability for why my account got disabled. But you really see who has your back in times like this,” said Demopoulos. “Now, I don’t feel like I have the same fanbase that I did, and it doesn’t matter, because I’m always who I am, but it goes to show me the people who really actually were there. The people who really cared. You get to see who your true friends are once all the clout goes away, and once all that dust settles.”
At LFA 103 on March 26, Demopoulos will go up against Cynthia Arceo, a former KOTC strawweight champ who has also competed for Invicta FC.
“Stylistically it makes sense,” Demopoulos said of the fight. In addition to being known for her karate, Arceo has “great cardio, I know that she’s strong,” Demopoulos observed. “I’m very strong, and it’s always interesting to get into the cage with people like that. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s ex-champ versus ex-champ.”
Demopoulos does feel the fight is “a huge upgrade” for her opponent. But, she added, “I don’t have a whole lot to say, because I am also coming off my own losses, and I’ve had to reevaluate my own camps. I’m just really excited to get my ass back in there and show myself what I’m made of.”
When it comes to 2021, Vanessa Demopoulos has goals — but she refuses to look too far ahead. “I’m looking to fight this fight on March 26. Nothing else matters after that. I will be in the UFC by the end of the year, that’s a thing,” she stated. “I’m working towards that. But nothing matters if the 26th doesn’t come through. So I just need to go out there and be the best version of myself I can be.”
Watch our full interview with Vanessa Demopoulos ahead of LFA 103 above. The event takes place March 26, 2021, airing live on UFC Fight Pass.
