In August 2016, it would be hard to imagine that when Paige VanZant (7-4) stopped Bec Rawlings with the help of a flying switch kick, it would be the budding star’s last official victory inside the octagon for well over two years.
After missing the entirety of 2017, VanZant returned in the beginning of 2018 only to lose her flyweight debut on points to Jessica-Rose Clark. Missing another calendar year with a broken arm, the 24-year-old Gracie Barra product makes another stab at the win column on Jan. 19 at UFC Fight Night on ESPN+ 1.
Rachael Ostrich (4-4) stands in VanZant’s way. The pair was originally scheduled to meet last November. Ostrich, 27, competed on The Ultimate Fighter 26, losing in the quarterfinals.
VanZant is a relative favorite (-210) to come out on top. But she understands the test she has in front of her.
“I know I’m fighting somebody that’s very strong and very mentally strong,” VanZant said via MMAFighting.com. “I’ve got to be ready for the fight and be ready for somebody to come out there and have a lot to fight for.”
Without a fight in 12 months, VanZant has found a way to stay busy—and in the public eye.
In April 2018, VanZant published a book titled Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life. The autobiography traces her triumph over abuse and the struggles that come along with it on her way to becoming one of the most recognizable female MMA fighters in the world. Later that year, she married another professional fighter, Austin Vanderford, an undefeated welterweight fighting out of Oregon.
Competing on the main card, VanZant is helping bolster the UFC’s first outing under their new deal with sports juggernaut ESPN worth $750 million.
