Paige VanZant (6-2) is set to make her return to the Octagon on August 27 in Vancouver at UFC on Fox 21. Opposite her will be Bec Rawlings (7-4). VanZant made the announcement Thursday morning on SportsCenter.
VanZant has not competed in mixed martial arts since last December when her bloom was taken off by a different kind of rose—Rose Namajunas. After the beating, VanZant got the call from ABC to join the cast of Dancing with the Stars.
The platform gave her great exposure, and the UFC’s shining strawweight ended as the runner-up for the season. Over the course of 10 weeks on the show, VanZant participated in 15 different routines with four being scored a perfect 30.
Meanwhile, Rawlings earned her second straight victory in March over Seohee Ham. This matchup, live on Fox, will give Rawlings a shot against a ranked foe. VanZant currently sits as the No. 10-ranked strawweight contender on the UFC’s official rankings list.
The Rogers Arena gets a stylistic matchup sure to excite. Neither Rawlings nor VanZant back away from a brawl. The fight is a great way to get fans on their feet and excited for all of the remaining action. The bout order for the strawweight scrap has yet to be finalized by the promotion.
UFC on Fox 21 also features Anthony Pettis’ featherweight debut against Charles Oliveira, but it does not currently have a main event attached to the event. The addition of Rawlings vs. VanZant will help bolster the card with one of the brightest stars on the UFC’s roster.
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