Yazmin Jauregui made a huge return to the Octagon tonight (Saturday, September 26, 2026) at UFC Vegas 121 LIVE on Paramount+ from Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, stopping women’s strawweight veteran Vanessa Demopoulos with a violent knockout in just 62 seconds in the first round.
Jauregui, 27, returned to the Octagon for the first time in more than two years. The talented Mexican striker had shown some serious potential in his first few UFC appearances, but he also experienced some struggles along the way. Saturday’s return was a tailored matchup for the striker, given that Demopoulos relies heavily on grappling and doesn’t offer much on the feet. It was still Jauregui’s job to deliver the goods and take advantage of the free time.
While some fighters experience cage rust after such a long layoff, that was not the case with Jauregui. After Demopoulos threw an overhand right and left himself open, Jauregui went all out. He landed punch after punch that left Demopoulos completely defenseless at the cage. The referee still didn’t jump, but once Demopoulos hit the ground and Jauregui rained down hard shots from top position, that was all he wrote.
Check out the video highlights below:
Click for complete results, coverage and highlights from UFC Vegas 121 HERE.
