Vanessa Demopoulos ready to get used to familiarity with UFC opponents like Emily Ducote

Vanessa Demopoulos has one other huge alternative in entrance of her subsequent month, and from right here on out when these occur, they could appear slightly extra private.

Demopoulos (10-5 MMA, 4-2 UFC) takes on Emily Ducote (13-8 MMA, 2-2 UFC) at UFC Struggle Night time 241 on Might 11. For Demopoulos, a win would give her 5 in six fights – which might put her in nice place within the ladies’s strawweight division.

However it should come in opposition to somebody she’s received some familiarity with.

“Not solely do I do know loads about her – Emily’s a sweetheart,” Demopoulos advised MMA Junkie Radio. “She got here right here to Las Vegas. She educated over at Xtreme (Couture) and, the truth is, me, her and Hannah Goldy all went mountain climbing collectively over at Crimson Rock. So we’ve spent slightly little bit of time collectively. It was good to form of get to know her on slightly little bit of a private degree.”

Demopoulos has been coaching in Las Vegas, the place she makes use of not solely Xtreme Couture, however the UFC Efficiency Institute. She mentioned that has been a game-changer for her, particularly in the case of vitamin.

Then there’s the consistency in her teaching, which she thinks was lacking earlier in her profession.

“I really feel like everyone’s actually on the identical web page,” she mentioned. “Being part of the PI and having the ability to have entry to my meals, have entry to restoration, have entry to the power and conditioning, the PT, the power – it simply makes my life a lot simpler being in battle camp and having the ability to be right here in Las Vegas.”

This battle camp, although, for Ducote was for somebody she’s frolicked with. And even wanting down the highway, her division’s champion, Zhang Weili, spends plenty of time on the PI, herself.

In a division that isn’t the most important within the UFC, and given her coaching in Las Vegas the place so many fighters come by means of at one level or one other, Demopoulos is assured this case will occur once more.

“Once we received the battle contract, it’s not like I (referred to as) her out. She didn’t hit me up, both,” Demopoulos mentioned. “We each knew that it would occur even whereas she was right here. It’s OK. It’s going to occur. I really feel like for being right here in Las Vegas, we see so many individuals, it will be virtually unattainable for me to not battle anyone that I knew.”

Demopoulos received again within the win column this previous October with a call over Kanako Murata in a battle by which Murata was a good favourite. Earlier within the yr, she had a three-fight successful streak snapped by Karolina Kowalkiewicz.

For extra on the cardboard, go to MMA Junkie’s occasion hub for UFC Fight Night 241.