Lupita Godinez was en route to claiming the LFA strawweight title from Vanessa Demopoulos in a lopsided manner on Friday at LFA 94. She ultimately got the job done, but the champion didn’t give up the strap easily.
Godinez (5-0) dished out some absolutely brutal power-punches, cut her opponent’s face in multiple areas and showed a general striking dominance. Demopoulos (5-3) staged a late rally, though, and inflicted enough damage to convince one judge to score it a draw. The other two saw it in the challenger’s favor, and Godinez earned the majority draw by scores of 49-46, 48-47 and 47-47.
“She’s super tough, honestly I was very surprised,” Godinez said post-fight after her title win. “In the first round I was like, ‘What the hell is this girl made of?’ I’m happy I could prove I go five (rounds), so I can do it all.”
LFA 94 took place at Hartman Arena in Park City, Kan. The card streamed on UFC Fight Pass.
What a fight! We are headed to the 5th and final round! #LFA94 pic.twitter.com/VIcmA3eToT
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) October 31, 2020
Incredible fight! Swinging til the end! #LFA94 pic.twitter.com/wUEmv9iMlc
— UFC FIGHT PASS (@UFCFightPass) October 31, 2020
Godinez, a 27-year-old out of Canada, showed disciplined offense early in picking Demopoulos apart from range. The fight started to get so one-sided, in fact, that commentator and former UFC champion Pat Miletich hinted the referee or corner might need to consider saving Demopoulos from more damage.
Demopoulos wasn’t accepting of that, however, and in the championship rounds, showed why she entered with the belt. She connected with some solid blows, bloodying the face of Godinez. She even got top control in the fifth round, but wasn’t able to secure a submission or fight-ending punches for a dramatic comeback.
In the end, it was Godinez who got her hand raised to stay undefeated. Afterward, she made it clear she wants to join the UFC’s 115-pound ranks and prove she’s capable of making waves against the next level of competition.
“I am (the best strawweight outside the UFC),” Godinez said. “I think I deserve to be in the UFC. That’s where I belong.”
Complete LFA 94 results included:
- Lupita Godinez def. Vanessa Demopoulos via majority decision (49-46, 48-47, 47-47) – to win strawweight title
- Aaron McKenzie def. Joe Giannetti via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
- Chase Gibson def. Thai Clark via technical submission (D’Arce choke) – Round 2, 4:18
- Fernie Garcia def. Ryan Hayes via split decision (28-29, 30-27, 30-27)
- Ozzy Diaz def. Logan Woods via TKO (punches) – Round 1, 1:36
- Jalin Fuller def. Miles Amos via submission (front choke) – Round 3, 1:59