Paige VanZant’s flyweight debut vs. Jessica Eye is no longer scheduled for next month at UFC 216. And from the sounds of it, VanZant might be sidelined for longer than she wants. When it rains it pours. Herniated disc, double ear infection, sinus infection, pink eye and ringworm all right now! 😡 send me good […]
Paige VanZant’s flyweight debut vs. Jessica Eye is no longer scheduled for next month at UFC 216. And from the sounds of it, VanZant might be sidelined for longer than she wants. When it rains it pours. Herniated disc, double ear infection, sinus infection, pink eye and ringworm all right now! ? send me good […]
After a down run where she was submitted in two out of her last three fights at women’s strawweight, Paige VanZant was looking to reinvent her career in the UFC’s new female 125-pound division against longtime bantamweight Jessica Eye at October 7’s UFC 216. That was until a back injury forced her out of the fight […]
After a down run where she was submitted in two out of her last three fights at women’s strawweight, Paige VanZant was looking to reinvent her career in the UFC’s new female 125-pound division against longtime bantamweight Jessica Eye at October 7’s UFC 216.
That was until a back injury forced her out of the fight yesterday. The injury, fortunately, didn’t require surgery, and apparently, she’s undergoing physical therapy on the disc issue in order to be ready to fight as soon as before the end of the year. VanZant told MMA Fighting she’s hoping to get back into the octagon before 2017 ends.
She also said the injury was one that flared up while she was training jiu-jitsu after having the ailment since she signed with the UFC back in 2014. “12 Gauge” quickly made a meteoric rise to fame and fortune as she knocked off three straight strawweights to begin her UFC career, but it was most likely too much pressure for a young contender who was putting her body through a ton of stress to even make the divisions limit.
She hit a wall against top-ranked fighters Rose Namajunas and Michelle Waterson, and has since left Team Alpha Male to return back to her native state of Oregon. She’s also admitted that cutting down to 115 is becoming too much for her body, and is anxious to compete at a more natural class once her back heals.
When she does return, VanZant said she’s ready to take on anyone:
“Depending on my healing timeline, I’ll fight anyone who is available.”
After several draining weight cuts down to strawweight, Paige VanZant was finally set to fight in a weight class that suited her better versus Jessica Eye at October 7’s UFC 216. That will have to wait, however, as news broke today (Mon., September 25, 2017) that VanZant had been forced out of the bout due to […]
After several draining weight cuts down to strawweight, Paige VanZant was finally set to fight in a weight class that suited her better versus Jessica Eye at October 7’s UFC 216.
That will have to wait, however, as news broke today (Mon., September 25, 2017) that VanZant had been forced out of the bout due to injury according to a report on the UFC’s official website.
The exact nature of the injury was not revealed by the UFC, but a report from MMA Fighting clarified that VanZant had suffered an intervertebral disc ailment in jiu-jitsu training that will not require surgery.
It’a setback for “12 Gauge,” who has been out of action since December 2016 when she lost to Michelle Waterson by first-round submission in the main event of UFC on FOX 21. Once touted as one of the best up-and-coming prospects in female MMA, VanZant has now lost two out of her last three bouts by submission, with her only victory in that span coming over an unranked Bec Rawlings.
For Eye, it’s even more disappointing, as the Cleveland-based fighter was looking to reinvent herself after four straight losses to top competition at bantamweight. ‘Evil’ had seen her previously scheduled bout with Aspen Ladd at July’s The Ultimate fighter (TUF) 25 Finale also fall apart due to injury, leaving her out of competition since a split decision loss to Bethe Correia at UFC 203 in September 2016.
With weight cutting problems now a thing of the past, Paige VanZant is feeling happier than ever in the UFC VanZant has been the subject of speculation in the past, owing to her future in the promotion. While problems with cutting weight have been well documented for the former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, things […]
With weight cutting problems now a thing of the past, Paige VanZant is feeling happier than ever in the UFC VanZant has been the subject of speculation in the past, owing to her future in the promotion. While problems with cutting weight have been well documented for the former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant, things […]
Due to college football taking over FOX Sports 1 and 2, the prelims for UFC 216 next month will air live on FXX. All the action from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas begins on UFC Fight Pass with three fights at 6:30 p.m. ET. In the early prelim headliner, John Moraga meets Magomed Bibulatov. […]
Due to college football taking over FOX Sports 1 and 2, the prelims for UFC 216 next month will air live on FXX. All the action from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas begins on UFC Fight Pass with three fights at 6:30 p.m. ET. In the early prelim headliner, John Moraga meets Magomed Bibulatov. […]
Paige VanZant has always inhabited a somewhat strange place in the UFC.
Part company spokesmodel, part fringe strawweight contender, she walks a tightrope between in-cage legitimacy and out-of-the-cage marketability. While she has struggled with t…
Paige VanZant has always inhabited a somewhat strange place in the UFC.
Part company spokesmodel, part fringe strawweight contender, she walks a tightrope between in-cage legitimacy and out-of-the-cage marketability. While she has struggled with that first part as of late, she’s still done a decent job of balancing the two.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani on Monday’s installment of The MMA Hour, VanZant discussed why she is ditching her division to move up to the newly christened UFC women’s flyweight division.
“It’s a big cut for me. I’m a lot heavier than people realize,” she said (via MMAFighting.com’s Marc Raimondi). “I was honestly killing myself for this sport. In my last I want to say two fights or three fights, I’ve passed out in my bathroom. This last one, I passed out and had the doctors almost not cleared me for the fight.”
These sorts of stories are common in mixed martial arts, where competitors go through extreme diets and massive dehydration to make weight. Many fights have been cancelled over recent years due to weight-cutting issues, from the dregs of the undercard tomain eventchampionship bouts. Despite the long-term health risks, the competitive rewards are huge, especially for grappling-focused fighters like VanZant.
Still, cutting weight becomes more difficult with time. For VanZant, who began competing at 115 pounds at the age of 18, it wasn’t sustainable.
“I’m a big advocate for body positivity, and I was putting myself through an eating disorder to make weight,” she said, via Raimondi. “And it became not fun for me anymore. I hate cutting. I hated the process. Obviously, passing out on your bathroom floor is not fun, because you’re dying in a bathtub.”
VanZant is slated to make her flyweight debut at UFC 216 in October opposite Jessica Eye. While the inaugural UFC women’s flyweight champion will be determined through the current season of The Ultimate Fighter, the newness of this division gives the fight major title implications.
If VanZant defeats Eye in impressive fashion, don’t be shocked if she challenges for the title in early 2018.
