Jaqueline Amorim notched another beautiful submission Saturday at UFC Fight Night 242, but it came with a little bit of controversy.
A Brazilian jiu-jitsu world champion, Amorim (9-1 MMA, 3-1 UFC) took the fight directly into her world when she took down Vanessa Demopoulos (11-6 MMA, 5-3 UFC) early. She worked for a submission and eventually found one in an armbar that got a tap at the 3:28 mark of Round 1.
From the second the armbar attempt shot up, Demopoulos yelled to referee Jacob Montalvo that Amorim had fingers in her glove. Demopoulos pleaded her case after the stoppage, but it led nowhere. Amorim was named the victor.
Vanessa Demopoulos argued Jacqueline Amorim had her hands in her glove which lead to the eventual submission.
Amorim still secured the win. #UFCVegas97 pic.twitter.com/GK3FjO0nWV
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) September 7, 2024
Amorim denied she did anything illegal.
“I didn’t grab her wrist. In between the glove and (forearm) you can hold in the direction I was pulling,” Amorim said in the cage after the fight. “So it is what it is. … UFC, please, I know they are coming to Tampa, Fla., in December. If you guys can put me on the card, please, I’ll be ready.”
Amorim, 29, has won three straight fights inside the distance. Demopoulos, 35, has a two-fight winning streak snapped.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 242 results include:
- Jaqueline Amorim def. Vanessa Demopoulos via submission (armbar) – Round 1, 3:28
- Andre Petroski def. Dylan Budka via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Nathan Fletcher def. Zygimantas Ramaska via submission (arm-triangle choke) – Round 2, 1:14
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 242.