Paige VanZant continued her upward trend in the UFC with a third-round submission over Alex Chambers at UFC 191 on Saturday.
This bout seemed like a showcase fight from the moment it was booked, and there is nothing wrong with that. In fact, it was smart booking. VanZant is young (21) and needs a lot of improvement, and these fights help her achieve her potential while introducing her to a large audience.
Chambers landed some solid strikes in the clinch early but faded throughout the fight. VanZant was constantly attached to her in the clinch, landing shot after shot. Eventually, it was too much. Another win for VanZant puts pressure on the UFC to book her in a top-tier bout.
What We’ll Remember About the Fight
Pressure. Constant pressure.
VanZant constantly moved forward and put the pressure on Chambers. The Australian just could not handle it. VanZant did not do huge damage, but the totality of her offense eventually caught up to Astro Girl. The 21-year-old’s constant pressure was the difference.
What We Learned About VanZant
We learned that while she is a top-10 fighter in the UFC’s strawweight division, she is still a long way off from the top.
She has clear deficiencies in her game. Perhaps the biggest is that she doesn’t move her head off the center line. That is going to be a big issue against several of the folks ahead of her in the rankings. Skilled strikers such as Michelle Waterson will have greater success on the feet, and champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk would demolish her existence.
What We Learned About Chambers
I have been a harsh critic of Chambers. I have felt like she is a middling atomweight in the UFC’s strawweight division merely because of her appearance on The Ultimate Fighter. And that may still be true, but in her last two fights, she has shown good improvement as an all-around fighter.
She caught Kailin Curran in an armbar in a fun fight in May, and at UFC 191 she found success in the clinch against VanZant. She connected on several punches against her opponent early. She just couldn’t handle the pressure and eventually wilted.
What’s Next for VanZant
This has to be an excruciating decision for the UFC. It clearly has a lot invested in VanZant, and she clearly isn’t ready for anyone in the upper echelon. Yet, here she is with a four-fight win streak and in the top 10. She has to fight someone ranked.
The best choice may be Joanne Calderwood.
She has underperformed in the UFC and is ultimately one-dimensional. Stylistically, it is a good fight to test both women and one that VanZant could win in grinding fashion. It would avoid a mauling by someone in the top five while building the winner into a future contender.
What’s Next for Chambers
There is another atomweight in the UFC who is coming off a loss, and that’s Seo Hee Ham (who lost to Calderwood in December 2014). It would be another tough fight for Chambers but one where she is on par with her opponent in terms of size.
It seems like the best way to utilize Chambers.
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