Highlights! Jaqueline Amorim easily armbars Vanessa Demopoulos, but did she cheat? | UFC Vegas 97

Jaqueline Amorim vs. Vanessa Demopoulos faced off earlier tonight (Sat., Sept. 7, 2024) at UFC Vegas 97 LIVE on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. In a somewhat controversial fight, Amorim scored a quick armbar submission.

It really didn’t take Amorim long to score her first (and only) takedown of the fight. Right away, she demonstrated her world-class jiu-jitsu experience, knifing through the guard and methodically advancing position. A couple times, she landed heavy ground strikes to open up Demopoulos defense.

Before long, Amorim was in mount, and Demopoulos tried to explode out of the position. In the process, Amorim transitioned to and finished an armbar, forcing the tap. However, there was controversy, as Demopoulos loudly accused Amorim of grabbing the glove throughout the sequence. The referee was right on top of the action and did acknowledge Demopoulos complaint, but ultimately he didn’t decide that a foul had occurred.

Check out the final moments below:

It’s a tricky issue. Amorim definitely was grabbing both the glove and Demopoulos’ flesh, which is something of a gray area. Generally, the referee isn’t going to intervene unless the fingers are deep into the wristband of the glove, which wasn’t the case here. Also, it doesn’t help Demopoulos’ case that it was actually her other arm that got cranked, not the one that Amorim is accused of hooking the glove.

Either way, Amorim is now riding a three-fight UFC win and finish streak. It remains to be seen if Demopoulos files an official complaint with the Nevade State Athletic Commission (NSAC).

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