Yazmin JaureguiW vs. Vanessa Demopoulos
UFC Fight Night · September 26, 2026 · Meta Apex · Prelims 5:00 PM ET
The brief
- The result
- Yazmin Jauregui by KO/TKO (punches), R1
- What kind of fight
- Knockout power vs. grappling craft
- Finish likelihood
- Medium
- The line
- Jauregui -1000 · Demopoulos +650Consensus (multiple sportsbooks)
- The stakes
- Women's Strawweight · Prelims
The result
Yazmin Jauregui def. Vanessa Demopoulos — KO/TKO (punches), R1 1:02
Yazmin Jauregui needed just 62 seconds to blast past Vanessa Demopoulos and open UFC Vegas 121 with a highlight-reel finish.
Demopoulos dropped for an ill-fated armbar attempt, and Jauregui followed her to the canvas with a barrage of hammerfists that forced an immediate stoppage.
It was an emphatic return to the Octagon after more than two years on the sidelines.
The breakdown below was written before the fight.
The read
Jauregui's power on the feet makes her dangerous from the opening bell, but the long layoff is a real question mark against an opponent who thrives in chaos and scrambles.
If Demopoulos can close the distance and get this to the mat, her submission instincts are live throughout.
The matchup
This is a striker-versus-grappler matchup, with Jauregui's knockout power against Demopoulos's scrambling submission game.
Jauregui's finishing rate is entirely built on strikes, while Demopoulos's best path is getting the fight to the mat and hunting a limb.
Tale of the tape
| 11-2 | Record | 11-8 |
| 27 | Age | 37 |
| 5'3" | Height | 5'2" |
| 64" | Reach | 59" |
| — | Stance | — |
| Mexico | Country | United States |
| — | Team | — |
The numbers
Career UFC averages. Red bar = statistical edge.
The fighters
Yazmin Jauregui 11-2
Yazmin Jauregui is a 27-year-old Mexican strawweight known for heavy hands, with seven of her eleven career wins coming by knockout or TKO and none by submission. She returns after roughly two years away from the Octagon to face grappling-focused veteran Vanessa Demopoulos.
UFC debut — no prior UFC bouts.
Vanessa Demopoulos 11-8
“Lil Monster”
Vanessa 'Lil Monster' Demopoulos is a 37-year-old American strawweight and flyweight known for aggressive grappling and flexibility, best remembered for an armbar finish of Silvana Gomez Juarez at UFC 270. She faces a hard-hitting Yazmin Jauregui returning from an extended layoff.
UFC debut — no prior UFC bouts.