Tag: Paige VanZant

Last month, Paige VanZant provided an update on her injury recovery, suggesting she’d be back in action sooner than expected.

Now, according to a report from ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, VanZant is nearly ready to negotiate for her return to the Octagon. A return timeframe of around mid-August was said to be a reasonable expectation:

“Quick update on Paige VanZant (@paigevanzant). She resumed sparring this weekend, for the first time in months.

“The arm injury that’s given her issues this last year is responding well. She’s close to talking to UFC about a return fight. Mid-August is a reasonable expectation.”

VanZant picked up a submission victory in her last outing, tapping out Rachael Ostovich with an armbar in the second round. The victory ended a two-fight losing skid. It should be interesting to see who VanZant gets matched-up with at 125 pounds – a division currently fronted by Valentina Shevchenko.

Thus far, the 25-year-old has picked up victories against the likes of Bec Rawlings, Felice Herrig, and Kailin Curran. As for her defeats, she has been beaten by Tecia Torres, Rose Namajunas, Michelle Waterson, and Jessica-Rose Clark.

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One UFC star thinks that Paige VanZant won’t fight her inside of the Octagon.

That star Maycee Barber, who has been calling out PVZ for quite some time now. Barber has been making a name for herself in the 115-pound division under the banner of the Las Vegas-based promotion.

She holds a 6-0 pro-MMA record with her only fights in the UFC ending in violent fashion. She picked up TKO wins over Hannah Cifers in November 2018 and in her latest bout, J.J. Aldrich at the UFC on ESPN+6 show back in March.

While doing a recent interview on The MMA Hour with Luke Thomas, Barber made it known that VanZant won’t fight her because doesn’t want to get her face damaged.

“She doesn’t want to fight me, she doesn’t want to lose,” Baber stated (transcribed by BJPenn.com). She wants to keep building her name and getting wins under her. And this is a fight she could possibly lose, and she knows that. I think that’s why. Also, given my history in fights, I go to finish and I usually cut people up. She also doesn’t want to have her face damaged.”

“She’s a high-paced fighter, got skills and she’s very athletic. But I’m me and I go to finish. She hasn’t fought a ton of girls that go out to just finish. There’s one thing about being a fighter who is technically good and then there’s someone who has like a malicious intent to finish a fight and I possess that. And there’s only a few girls who possess that. I know that I’m one of them and I feel like Tatiana Suarez is another girl who’s a finisher. She goes out to hurt you. We’re few and far between as fighters who fight like that.”

VanZant was slated to have a fight with Poliana Botelho at the UFC 236 pay-per-view event in April. However, that fight got pulled once PVZ suffered another fracture in her arm. This wasn’t her first go around with an arm injury.

She had surgery shortly after a flyweight contest at the UFC St. Louis (Fight Night 124) event for a broken arm.

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