LAS VEGAS — Yazmin Jauregui made a two-year wait worth it, returning from a long injury layoff to knock out Vanessa Demopoulos at UFC Vegas 121 at the Meta APEX. The victory capped a comeback that forced her to rebuild physically and battle through difficult moments mentally before coming back better than before.
Jauregui said the layoff changed her more mentally than physically, crediting patience and process during rehab for sharpening her fight IQ. “I’ve improved quite a bit, but more mentally than anything. I think the injury was a part of that process because having an injury means starting over from zero. Having to rehab a muscle is starting from the very beginning and having the patience to do it is key,” Jauregui told reporters including Cageside Press at her post-fight scrum. “Having to believe in the process and work with the right people, all of that helped me focus on developing better fight IQ. My wrestling and my Jiu Jitsu improved so much that two months ago I earned my black belt.”
The road back was about more than physical recovery. Jauregui admitted the toughest fight was overcoming a negative mindset that at times made her doubt a return was possible. “These last two years were very challenging for me, mentally, but it gave me time to work on it. At times I felt I wouldn’t find my way back to tell you the truth. Everything was very difficult, I had a very negative mindset, with myself, and even with good things. A lot of good things were happening, and I still couldn’t see it,” she said. “At some point I stopped fighting with myself and got back to a much more positive mindset, open minded, and it helped me grow and improve.”
Following the knockout victory, Jauregui was all smiles at the prospect of adding a $100,000 bonus to her night. She already has plans for the money, tied to a growing business outside the cage.
“I hope God hears you brother! I own a coffee shop which has gone great so far. It’s not easy to run a business. I told myself that I wanted to try running a business and once I got started there were times where I wondered what I got myself into,” she said. “But I was resilient like with everything else in life. My business is doing great, I have a great staff, and I’m already working on opening another location. God willing it’s a massive success.”