MMA Preview – Kanako Murata vs Vanessa Demopoulos at UFC Fight Night 229
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KANAKO MURATA VS VANESSA DEMOPOULOS FACTS
When is UFC Fight Night 229? Saturday 7th October, 2023 - 22:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC Fight Night 229? UFC APEX, Enterprise, Nevada (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 229? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC Fight Night 229 on? TNT Sports 1
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 229? TNT Sports subscribers can stream the fight online via the TNT Sports website and Discovery+
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
KANAKO MURATA VS VANESSA DEMOPOULOS LOWDOWN
Kanako Murata (12-2) has not been anywhere near as active as we would like and a dislocated elbow suffered in her last fight has not helped matters. The decorated wrestler made her UFC debut in 2020 where she earnt a comfortable unanimous decision over the veteran Randa Markos. She returned seven months later to fight Virna Jandiroba (2021) where she suffered the injury in the second round and we have not seen her since.
Vanessa Demopoulos (9-5) has been far more active. She stepped up on short notice to fight JJ Aldrich up at flyweight for her debut and lost a unanimous decision. However, 2022 was a brilliant year for her submitting Silvana Gomez Juarez, earning a split decision over Jinh Yu Frey and a unanimous one over Maria Oliveira. She then met Karolina Kowalkiewicz in May this year and lost a unanimous decision to go 3-2 in the UFC.
KANAKO MURATA VS VANESSA DEMOPOULOS PREDICTION
Do not expect to see a striking masterclass here. Their strengths lie in their grappling and the simple fact that Murata is an Asian wrestling champion makes her the clear favourite.
However, this is not that straightforward. Demopoulos will be a constant submission threat off her back and any time they are on the feet, she can cause problems with her forward pressure.
Murata will not be deterred by Demopoulos’ striking, but considering the time off, we expect her to waste no time in shooting in. Demopoulos is unlikely to offer much resistance and Murata has the power and technique to keep her pinned on her back, but the underdog will be a threat here.
Prediction: Murata via Decision
Value bet: Demopoulos to win
