It is common for parents to tell their children not to fight What they don’t mention is that if you are really good at it, you can make a career out of beating people for sport. This is the case of Paige VanZant, an American mixed martial artist, author, and former model, who became famous through the countless victories she achieved as a fighter.
Paige Vanzant Biography
Paige VanZant was born on March 26, 1994, in Dundee, Oregon. Although she was born in Dundee, she grew up in Dayton. Her parents owned a dance studio where she learned ballet, jazz, and hip-hop dances for over 13 years. As a teenager, Paige appeared in a mop commercial, an experience that helped her perform in television series such as Dancing With The Stars and Chopped.
She was considered a wildcat and a nature lover when she was growing up, and her hobbies included off-road biking and fishing. She joins the ranks of celebrities who were bullied in high school, an experience that inspired her to become a martial artist and learn how to defend herself.
You could say it was already in the stars that Paige was to become a martial artist. Through years of working in her parents’ dance studio, she had absorbed the body movement skills that all great fighters possess. And so, when Paige VanZant moved with her family to Sparks, Nevada, she found the gym of UFC veteran Ken Shamrock while she was looking for a dance studio; it was destiny that she met the preparation. At his gym, she began training in boxing and other martial arts.
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Career
After winning an amateur fight at the age of 18, Paige Vanzant made her MMA debut as a professional at the final of the UWF war tournament against Jordan Nicole Gaza in Corpus Christi, Texas, on June 30, 2012, and won her first fight by a split decision. In her second fight against Amber Stautzenberger in the Premier Fight Series 2, she won by unanimous decision.
She suffered her first defeat against Tecia Torres at FC Invicta 4, which took place at the Memorial Hall in Kansas City on January 5, 2013. However, her talent was recognized as her fighting style was admired by many in the sport. She is typically known for attacking with aggressive grappling and trying to end with punches. Her style includes floor-and-pound, dirty boxing, and a variety of clinch punches. In addition to her punches, Paige VanZant also has a blue belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.
She has had an outstanding career so far. In December 2013, the athlete has announced as one of eleven women signed up by the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) for their new division, the Straw Weight Division.
Her first fight in the Straw Weight Division was announced in August 2014 and she was scheduled to fight Kailin Curran in Halifax on October 4, 2014. Unfortunately, fate had other plans, as she suffered a back injury that forced a postponement of the fight.
The wait was well worth it for the young fighter, who made her UFC debut by defeating Curran by TKO in the third round, in a fight that led to the Fight of the Night. The victory brought her fame and fans to her front door. In February 2015, Paige signed a sponsorship agreement with Reebok. An agreement that caused controversy, as she had only been in one UFC fight at the time.
Paige VanZant’s rise in the UFC continued when she won her next two fights, won by unanimous decision, and the other by an armbar submission in the third round. She suffered her first defeat in the UFC against Rose Namajunas, whom she defeated in the fifth round by submission with the armbar. She eventually finished 12th in her run in the strawweight category.
In August 2017, the fierce fighter switched to the flyweight class. After a few setbacks due to injury and illness, she fought her first fight on January 14, 2018, where she lost to Jessica Rose-Clark after breaking her arm in the first round, marking her fourth defeat in her professional career. Considering that she is still young, the future for her career is still very bright.
Who is The Fiancé, Boyfriend, or Husband?
Paige VanZant is engaged to a fighting companion, Austin Vanderford, a professional MMA fighter and a two-time NAIA All-American and National Wrestling Champion. The two got engaged in January 2018 and considering their profession together, they seem like a heavenly couple. Austin, who made his first amateur fight in 2015, made his professional debut in 2017.
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Paige VanZant Net Worth
Although she is still young, she has quickly gained fame in the world of professional martial arts. Since 2014 she has been an official UFC fighter, receives $20,000 per fight, and has signed several sponsorship contracts. Paige has also written a book about her background and her rise to fame. She is currently worth $3.5 million.
