Popular women’s strawweight Vanessa Demopoulos will return to action this October, facing an opponent who has not been seen in action in for two years.
Demopoulos (9-5) is set to face Japan’s Kanako Murata (12-2) at a UFC Fight Night card on October 7, 2023. The bout will serve as Murata’s first since July of 2021.
Iridium Sports Agency, who represent Demopoulos, announced the pairing recently, with “Lil Monster” confirming the booking.
Demopoulos saw a three-fight win streak snapped in her last outing, where she came out on the wrong side of a unanimous decision in a fight with former title challenger Karolina Kowalkiewicz. Prior to that, the 34-year old had notched wins against Silvana Gomez Juarez, Jinh Yu Frey, and Maria Oliveira.
A former LFA strawweight champ, Demopoulos is 3-2 inside the octagon to date.
Murata will look to bounce back from a loss to Virna Jandiroba in the fight. One fight earlier, the Japanese standout had defeated Randa Markos in her promotional debut. Murata previously competed for Invicta FC and RIZIN, and holds wins over UFC alums Emily Ducote and Angela Magana outside the promotion.
The UFC’s October 7, 2023 Fight Night event does not have a main event announced or reported thus far. No other fights have been reported for the card.
