Words like that are a reminder, like the Cleveland thing, that Demopoulos is all-fighter. Yes, she has one of the most positive and engaging personalities in the sport, but that’s outside of sanctioned combat. When it’s time to train or fight, she’s a different person, and she’s not about to take her foot off the gas because she’s had some success. Why? It’s simple.
“Because I love it,” Demopoulos said. “It’s not about the goals that I’m achieving, it’s not about getting on these win streaks. Even when I am the UFC champion, I will still be in the gym the next day because this is what I love. I only got here out of the passion and the love that I have for the sport, the love that I have for training every single day, and, for me, I get to come to the gym. This is a privilege for me, and I’m honored to be able to be here. And I’m even more honored to be able to fight in front of people who are inspired by it. I literally love what I do, and I don’t do it for the accolades, I don’t do it for the awards. I would fight if nobody was watching. So it’s really awesome that I get to do it for the UFC in front of millions of fans.”
FREE FIGHTS: Mackenzie Dern vs Randa Markos | Angela Hill vs Emily Ducote
Those fans have responded to the backstory and rapid rise of the “Lil’ Monster,” and that’s not surprising. What it is, is satisfying to see someone with that star potential actually shine when given the chance. That’s not always the case. In all combat sports, there have been those who you could just imagine becoming a crossover star, but the talent didn’t match the personality. Demopoulos paid her dues, and when she did get her shot in the big show, she didn’t let it pass her by. That’s not a common occurrence, and while it’s happening, she is taking full advantage of it, whether it’s doing commentary on UFC FIGHT PASS events, more interviews or meeting her growing legion of followers.
“Even as I was coming up through the regional scene, I specifically remember telling someone that one day, I’m going to be a commentator in the UFC,” she said. “And they’re like, ‘Well, girls don’t do that.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, but I know I can do it.’ And now you have Laura Sanko out there doing it, you have Megan Olivi in front of the microphone all the time. And these ladies have paved the way for someone like me, who’s always had these aspirations to one day be able to live them out. And today, I am a fighter, but one day I’ll get to also fulfill that part of my dream, too. And it’s really cool to be able to work with FIGHT PASS and fill that cup up at the same time as being a fighter. It’s also helped my fight game to improve because, as an analyst, I’m looking at fights from a very different perspective. So to be able to look at my opponents under a different microscope really helps me. Everything coincides, it really does.”
Some would call that a perfect storm on its way to Las Vegas.
