Paige VanZant – Page 11 – Syndication Server

UFC 251 pre-event facts: Is this the best title-fight triple header in UFC history?

The best facts and figures about UFC 251, which features Usman vs. Masvidal, Volkanovski vs. Holloway, and Yan vs. Aldo title fights.

The UFC makes its debut on “Fight Island” Saturday with UFC 251, which takes place at Flash Forum in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi with a main card that airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and ESPN+/UFC Fight Pass.

Arguably the strongest championship triple-header in company sits atop the card, with [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag] (35-13 MMA, 12-6 UFC) for the welterweight title serves as the main event, [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC) for the featherweight title serves as the co-headliner, the [autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] (14-1 MMA, 6-0 UFC) meets [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) for the vacant bantamweight belt in the featured bout.

All six men bring strong resumes into the title fights. For more on the numbers, check below for 70 pre-event facts about UFC 251.

* * * *

Main event

Usman enters the event on a 15-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Usman is one of four fighters in UFC history to start 11-0 with the promotion. Anderson Silva, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Royce Gracie also accomplished the feat.

Usman is the only welterweight in history to start his UFC career with 11 consecutive victories.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak is tied with Amanda Nunes for the second longest active streak in the company behind Nurmagomedov (12).

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Usman’s 11-fight UFC winning streak at welterweight is the second longest in divisional history behind Georges St-Pierre (12).

Usman has earned eight of his 11 UFC victories by decision.

Usman outlanded Tyron Woodley by a margin of 336-60 (+275) in total strikes at UFC 235, the record for a UFC championship fight.

Usman landed 192 body strikes at UFC 235, the single-fight UFC record.

Usman has defended 100 percent of all opponent takedown attempts in UFC competition, which includes 17 total.

Usman’s 12 takedowns landed against Rafael dos Anjos at the TUF 28 Finale are tied for second most in a single UFC welterweight fight. Luigi Fioravanti holds the record with 13 at UFC 82.

Usman has been controlled for just two seconds in UFC competition, the least amount of time in company history.

Masvidal competes in his fourth UFC headliner. He’s 2-1 in previous main events.

Masvidal competes for a UFC title in his 49th MMA fight, the second most experience in history for a first-time challenger behind Alistair Overeem (56).

Masvidal is 7-4 since he returned to the welterweight division is July 2015.

Masvidal has earned all six of his UFC welterweight stoppage victories via strikes.

Masvidal’s five-second knockout of Ben Askren at UFC 239 is the record for fastest in UFC history.

Masvidal is one of five fighters in UFC history to finish a bout by submission at the 4:59 mark of Round 2. He accomplished the feat at UFC on FOX 8.

Co-main event

[jwplayer 0STa1zgcq-RbnemIYZ]

Volkanovski is the only Australian-born champion in UFC history.

Volkanovski’s six-fight UFC winning streak at featherweight is tied for the second longest active streak in the division behind Arnold Allen (seven).

Volkanovski enters the event on an 18-fight winning streak. He hasn’t suffered a defeat since May 2013.

Volkanovski has outlanded his eight UFC opponents by a 650-301 margin in total strikes.

Volkanovski lands 56.8 percent of his significant strike attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Jimmy Hettes (57.3 percent).

Holloway competes in his 21st UFC featherweight bout, the most appearances in divisional history.

Holloway’s 16 victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s 10 stoppage victories in UFC featherweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Holloway’s eight knockout victories in UFC featherweight competition are most in divisional history.

Holloway’s six third-round stoppage victories in UFC competition are tied with Randy Couture and Yoel Romero for most in company history.

Holloway’s eight knockdowns landed in UFC featherweight competition are tied for third most in divisional history behind Jeremy Stephens (11) and Josh Emmett (10).

Holloway is one of three fighters in UFC history to complete 22 octagon appearances without suffering a knockdown. B.J. Penn and Jon Jones are the others.

Holloway is the only fighter in history to land 2,000 or more significant strikes in UFC competition. His 2,071 landed are most in company history.

Holloway has landed 100 or more significant strikes in 10 separate UFC fights, the most in company history. No other fighter has more than seven such performances.

Holloway landed 290 significant strikes against Brian Ortega at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

Holloway landed 134 significant strikes in Round 4 a UFC 231, the single-round UFC record.

Holloway and Ortega combined for 400 significant strikes landed at UFC 231, the single-fight UFC record.

Holloway’s seven fight-night bonuses for UFC featherweight bouts are third most in divisional history behind Cub Swanson (eight) and Chan Sung Jung (eight).

Featured bout

[jwplayer 0hzqhQrF-RbnemIYZ]

Yan can become the third Russian-born champion in UFC history. Nurmagomedov and Andrei Arlovski also accomplished the feat.

Yan’s six-fight UFC winning streak at bantamweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Yan has earned all three of his UFC stoppage victories by knockout.

Yan lands 1.52 knockdowns per 15 minutes in UFC bantamweight competition, the second best rate in divisional history behind Cody Garbrandt (1.58).

Aldo can become the eighth fighter in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes.

Aldo is the third fighter in history to fight for a title following consecutive non-title UFC losses. Yoel Romero and Tank Abbott also accomplished the feat.

Aldo is the only two-time UFC featherweight titleholder in history and one of eight overall in company history to have two reigns in a single weight class.

Aldo was unsuccessful in his bantamweight debut at UFC 245 in December.

Aldo is 3-5 in his past eight fights after going undefeated for more than a decade.

Aldo’s 18 UFC/WEC featherweight victories are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 stoppage victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are the most in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s 11 knockout victories in UFC/WEC featherweight competition are most in combined divisional history.

Aldo defends 91 percent of opponent takedown attempts in UFC featherweight competition, the highest rate in combined divisional history.

Aldo’s nine fight-night bonuses for UFC/WEC featherweight bouts are second most in combined divisional history behind Swanson (11).

Remaining main card

[autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 11-5 UFC) makes her 17th UFC appearance, the most by any female in company history.

Andrade is 8-2 since she dropped to the UFC strawweight division in June 2016.

Andrade’s 11 UFC victories are second by any female in company history behind Nunes (12).

Andrade’s seven victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for second most in divisional history behind Joanna Jedrzejczyk (10).

Andrade’s four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Andrade’s three knockout victories in UFC strawweight competition are the most in divisional history.

Andrade is one of 11 fighters in UFC history to earn a knockout stemming from a slam. She accomplished the feat at UFC 237.

Andrade is one of four in history to win a UFC title fight by knockout stemming from a slam when she won at UFC 237.

Andrade landed 242 total strikes against Claudia Gadelha at UFC Fight Night 117, the most in a UFC strawweight fight.

Andrade out-landed Gadelha by 194 total strikes at UFC Fight Night 117, the largest differential in a UFC strawweight fight.

Andrade lands 7.22 significant strikes per minute in UFC strawweight competition, the best rate in divisional history.

Andrade’s 10 takedowns landed against Tecia Torres at UFC on FOX 29 stand as the single-fight record for a women’s UFC bout.

Andrade’s six fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are the most in divisional history.

[autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 6-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since May 11, 2019. The 427-day layoff is the longest of her more than seven-year career.

Namajunas’ four stoppage victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three knockdowns landed in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Angela Hill for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ three submission victories in UFC strawweight competition are tied with Cynthia Calvillo for most in divisional history.

Namajunas’ submission of Paige VanZant at the 2:25 mark of Round 5 at UFC Fight Night 80 is the latest stoppage in UFC strawweight history.

Namajunas’ four fight-night bonuses for UFC strawweight bouts are second most in divisional history behind Andrade (six).

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) moves up to the UFC women’s flyweight division after spending her first three octagon appearances at strawweight.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) returns to competition for the first time since Jan. 19, 2019. The 539-day layoff is the longest of her more than seven-year career.

VanZant is 1-1 since she moved up to the UFC women’s flyweight division in January 2018.

VanZant earned the first stoppage victory in UFC strawweight history with her knockout of Kailin Curran at UFC Fight Night 57.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

Paige VanZant feels excitement, not pressure, ahead of final bout on UFC contract

Paige VanZant isn’t stressing about anything heading into UFC 251.

[autotag]Paige VanZant [/autotag] knows what’s on the line on Saturday night, and she’s not stressing about it.

The 26-year-old flyweight fights the final bout on her UFC contract this weekend at UFC 251 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) takes on Amanda Ribas in the opening bout of the pay-per-view main card.

With a lot on the line, VanZant isn’t feeling any pressure despite this being a pivotal moment in her fighting career.

“For me it’s just another fight honestly,” Vanzant told MMA Junkie on Wednesday in a virtual media scrum. “I put the same amount of pressure on myself whether it’s the first fight of my career or the first fight on the main card. It doesn’t matter what position I am; it’s the same amount of pressure.

“You need to win your fights to be successful and definitely going to be a huge determining factor in the way I move forward, but at the same time, know whatever happens in the fight I’m in an amazing position. I’m just excited to see what the future brings.”

[lawrence-related id=532875,529473,531871]

VanZant has been wanting to test free agency for some time. The former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant wants to see what her value is in the market as she’s unhappy with her current UFC deal.

“I’m excited. I’ve never been in this position ever, so I think it’s an important position for me to be in,” VanZant said. “You don’t really know your value until somebody else tells you what it is, and it’s the option of multiple people that say what they think my value is. So I’m going to gain a lot of knowledge.”

[vertical-gallery id=388806]

Spinning Back Clique: Is Kamaru Usman or Jorge Masvidal taking the bigger risk at UFC 251?

Check out this week’s edition of “Spinning Back Clique,” which focuses on the UFC 251 main event.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, Simon Head hosts and is joined by MMA Junkie Radio’s “Gorgeous” George and “Goze,” as well as senior reporter Mike Bohn.

SHOW TOPICS

With Gilbert Burns testing positive for COVID-19, the UFC turned to [autotag]Jorge Masvidal[/autotag], who answered the call and is now set to challenge welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] on just six days’ notice at UFC 251. It’s the fight everyone wanted from the start, but considering Masvidal’s contract holdout was the reason it didn’t get booked in the first place, how surprised are you that it’s happening?
Between Usman and Masvidal, you’ve got a champion putting his title on the line against a dangerous opponent on short notice, and you’ve got a fighter who’s been pushing for more money now cashing in his chips under less-than-ideal circumstances. So the question is: Which man is taking the bigger risk?
UFC 251 features the return of [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag], who meets Amanda Ribas in the final fight of her contract. The 26-year-old VanZant remains a popular fixture in MMA, and she intends on testing the open market. If you were her manager, how would you advise her after this fightt?
With three title fights at UFC 251, we close out this week’s show with a simple question: How many times will Bruce Buffer announce “and new” on he night?

[lawrence-related id=532100,532222]

For answers to all of those questions, watch Episode 36 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

[opinary poll=”whos-taking-the-bigger-risk-in-the-ufc-2-BDzSAe” customer=”mmajunkie”]

UFC 251: Make your predictions for Kamaru Usman vs. Jorge Masvidal, two other title fights

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 251 event in Abu Dhabi, which features three title fights at the top of the card.

We want your predictions for Saturday’s UFC 251 event in Abu Dhabi.

Our staff picks feature includes the consensus picks from MMA Junkie readers. Simply cast your vote for each bout below, and we’ll use the official tallies that are registered by Thursday at noon ET (9 a.m. PT).

Those MMA Junkie reader consensus picks will be part of the UFC on ESPN 12 event staff predictions we release Friday ahead of the event. UFC 251 takes place Saturday at Yas Island in Abu Dhabi. The main card airs on pay-per-view following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

Make your picks for all five main card fights inside:

Pages: 1234567

Amanda Ribas: Paige VanZant fight a chance ‘to test myself’ at higher weight class

Amanda Ribas is a ranked strawweight, so fighting a division up doesn’t make sense, but she wasn’t about to pass on the opportunity.

[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] isn’t sure why the UFC offered her to fight [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] at flyweight.

Ribas, who’s currently ranked in the top 15 of the strawweight division, has competed at 115 pounds for the majority of her career. So when she was offered to face VanZant at 125, Ribas was a little confused but certainly didn’t shy away from the challenge of competing in a weight class above.

Ribas (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) will open up the UFC 251 main card when she faces VanZant on July 11 in Abu Dhabi.

“I would have fought Paige VanZant at strawweight, but I’m not sure why the UFC made me an offer at flyweight,” Ribas told MMA Junkie. “I accepted. It’s not my usual weight class, but I’d like to test myself. I’d like to see how I would do by moving up in weight. I don’t enjoy getting too comfortable. I like to challenge myself.

“I think the pressure is more on her to win since it’s her weight class and since it’s supposed to be the last fight on her contract. If I happen to get ranked at flyweight, too, all the better. Who knows if I can follow in the steps of Amanda Nunes, our beloved ‘Lioness,’ and perform at the highest level in two weight classes?”

[lawrence-related id=529473,506270]

Since making her UFC debut last June, Ribas has scored three big wins over Emily Whitmire, Mackenzie Dern and, most recently, Randa Markos in March. Meanwhile, VanZant hasn’t competed since January 2019 due to multiple arm surgeries that have kept her sidelined.

VanZant is an unranked opponent in a different division, but Ribas is not underestimating her and isn’t expecting the layoff to affect her much.

“I think her fame isn’t for no reason,” Ribas said. “She scored a beautiful switch-kick knockout (against Bec Rawlings). She also has wins by submission. Her fights are always very fast paced. I have to be very careful against her. Her last bout was in early 2019, but I don’t think that would be a problem for her.

“For example, I waited for three years for my UFC debut, and I was able to score a win in my debut despite all the pressure. I think I had a great debut. I’m getting ready for the best possible version of Paige. If she happens to be rusty, all the better for me.”

[vertical-gallery id=452183]

UFC announces full ‘Fight Island’ lineup, includes 47 bouts in 15 days

“Fight Island” is real, and now the four cards that will take place there are real, as well.

UFC president Dana White today announced the complete lineup for the four cards that will take place next month in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The unique setup has been necessitated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has made it difficult to get international fighters into the U.S. to compete.

“I think this is going to be a really unique experience, not just for the fighters, but for us,” UFC president Dana White said during the announcement. “It’s going to be cool. It’s going to be something different. It’s never been done before, and however long this thing goes on, and however long it’s hard to get people in from other countries, we will have these fights at ‘Fight Island’ – Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.”

First up, it’s UFC 251 on July 11, which features a trio of title fights.

MAIN CARD (Pay-per-view, 10 p.m. ET)

Champ [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] – for welterweight title
Champ [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] – for featherweight title
[autotag]Petr Yan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] – for vacant bantamweight title
[autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rose Namajunas[/autotag]
[autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 8 p.m. ET)

[autotag]Volkan Oezdemir[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jiri Prochazka[/autotag]
[autotag]Muslim Salikhov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Makwan Amirkhani[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danny Henry[/autotag]
[autotag]Roman Bogatov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Leonardo Santos[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD (ESPN, ESPN+, 6:15 p.m. ET)

[autotag]Alexander Romanov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marcin Tybura[/autotag]
[autotag]Raulian Paiva[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Zhalgas Zhumagulov[/autotag]
[autotag]Vanessa Melo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Karol Rosa[/autotag]
[autotag]Martin Day[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Davey Grant[/autotag]

The promotion then returns on July 15 with an event headlined by featherweight contenders [autotag]Calvin Kattar[/autotag] (21-4 MMA, 5-2 UFC) and [autotag]Dan Ige[/autotag] (14-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC).

The complete lineup includes:

MAIN CARD (10 p.m. ET)

Calvin Kattar vs. Dan Ige
[autotag]Frankie Edgar[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]
[autotag]Carla Esparza[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]
[autotag]Abdul Razak Alhassan[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mounir Lazzez[/autotag]
[autotag]Chris Fishgold[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jared Gordon[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY (7 p.m. ET)

[autotag]Modestas Bukauskas[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Vinicius Moreira[/autotag]
[autotag]Molly McCann[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Taila Santos[/autotag]
[autotag]Lerone Murphy[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ricardo Ramos[/autotag]
[autotag]John Phillips[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Dusko Todorovic[/autotag]
[autotag]Ryan Benoit[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tim Elliott[/autotag]
[autotag]Diana Belbita[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Liana Jojua[/autotag]

Joseph Benavidez and Deiveson Figueiredo

Three days later, on July 18, the promotion hosts its third card in eight days, when top flyweight contenders [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] (18-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) and [autotag]Joseph Benavidez[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 15-4 UFC) meet for a second time with the vacant UFC flyweight title on the line.

The full card includes:

MAIN CARD (9 p.m. ET)

Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Joseph Benavidez – for vacant flyweight title
[autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jack Hermansson[/autotag]
[autotag]Marc Diakiese[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rafael Fiziev[/autotag]
[autotag]Luana Carolina[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Ariane Lipski[/autotag]
[autotag]Askar Askarov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Alexandre Pantoja[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD (6 p.m. ET)

[autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Khadis Ibragimov[/autotag]
[autotag]Grant Dawson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nad Narimani[/autotag]
[autotag]Joel Alvarez[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Joe Duffy[/autotag]
[autotag]Montel Jackson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Brett Johns[/autotag]
[autotag]Aleksander Doskalchuk[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Tagir Ulanbekov[/autotag]
[autotag]Davi Ramos[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Arman Tsarukyan[/autotag]
[autotag]Carlos Felipe[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Serghei Spivac[/autotag]

Finally, the UFC’s run in Abu Dhabi ends on July 25 with a much-anticipated middleweight contest between former champion [autotag]Robert Whittaker[/autotag] (20-5 MMA, 11-3 UFC) and former welterweight title challenger [autotag]Darren Till[/autotag] (18-2-1 MMA, 6-2-1 UFC).

That night’s full lineup includes:

MAIN CARD

Robert Whittaker vs. Darren Till
[autotag]Antonio Rogerio Nogueira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mauricio Rua[/autotag]
[autotag]Alex Oliveira[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Peter Sobotta[/autotag]
[autotag]Alexander Gustafsson[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Fabricio Werdum[/autotag]
[autotag]Nicolas Dalby[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Danny Roberts[/autotag]

PRELIMINARY CARD

[autotag]Tom Aspinall[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jake Collier[/autotag]
[autotag]Raphael Pessoa[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Justin Tafa[/autotag]
[autotag]Movsar Evloev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Mike Grundy[/autotag]
[autotag]Bethe Correia[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Pannie Kianzad[/autotag]
[autotag]Umar Nurmagomedov[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Nathaniel Wood[/autotag]
[autotag]Ramazan Emeev[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Shavkat Rakhmonov[/autotag]

Page VanZant considers long and short term plans as UFC return from injury draws near

Paige VanZant “never once thought about quitting” MMA, and now she’s ready to remind everyone how good she is before testing free agency.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] is ready for her first fight in more than 16 months after going through a trying series of arm injuries.

VanZant’s (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) arm issue stems back even prior to her most recent bout, which was a second-round submission win over Rachael Ostovich in January 2019 at UFC on ESPN+ 1.

VanZant’s got the worst of it in the time since, though, undergoing more procedures due to subsequent damage. She’s as close to healthy as can be but said there will be a decision point coming up in regards to how she wants to play things long term.

“I have a plate in my arm,” VanZant told MMA Junkie on Thursday. “I broke my arm in a fight. It took two surgeries to fix it, and since then I’ve broken my arm twice. The only reason I’ve broken it the two times prior is because I have a plate in my arm. With each screw I have like six or seven screw holes, then at the end of each plate is a weak point. I did something so silly. I did a big stepping elbow and I broke through a screw hole.

“Ideally I would like to fight , then have the plate taken out, then I can continue on my career and not have to worry about these freak accidents breaking through screw holes. I think ultimately to have my arm be 100 percent and take that risk factor down to zero, I would have to take the plate out. But it’s not necessary. It’s not like I have to have surgery.”

It’s been a long road of ups and downs for VanZant. Lesser athletes would’ve walked away after what she’s endured, and although there were definitely some hard moments, VanZant said the support of her husband, Bellator middleweight Austin Vanderford, always kept her confident brighter days were ahead.

“I think when I re-broke it the third time I was like, ‘That’s it, we’re getting pregnant, we’re having kids. (My husband) is taking over,'” VanZant said. “Then he talked me off the ledge, because I am only 26. I still have a really long career ahead of me, and I haven’t even reached my peak yet. I just turned 26. I went through the whole healing process again and, no, I’ve never once thought about quitting forever – like ever. Even if in my wildest dreams we had kids I would still want to keep fighting. I plan on fighting for at least five to seven years.”

[lawrence-related id=521391]

VanZant appears to to have her next fight in place as, according to Combate, she will meet Amanda Ribas on July 11 in a flyweight bout that was originally scheduled for March 14 before VanZant was forced to withdraw. MMA Junkie confirmed that both sides have verbally agreed.

The next fight will be the last on VanZant’s current UFC contract. She’s detailed her plan to test free agency in the past and said that still remains on the forefront of her mind. Whether she stays in the UFC or goes elsewhere, though, she said the next performance is critical to reminding everyone where she stands.

“It’s still my plan (to be a free agent),” VanZant said. “I’m really happy with where I’m at now in the UFC. Ultimately my goal is to show my value. You can be easily forgotten in this sport. I went on a three-fight winning streak. I was main event in the UFC, and only two of my fights have ever gone to a decision. I’m a really exciting fighter, but I haven’t been able to show off because I keep getting hurt. That’s my plan here, to show how good I am.”

[vertical-gallery id=388806]

Paige VanZant working through injuries, aims to to be back fighting soon

Amanda Ribas, Paige VanZant agree to rescheduled fight at July 11 UFC event

The UFC is ready to try this again with Amanda Ribas and Paige VanZant.

The UFC is ready to try this again with [autotag]Amanda Ribas[/autotag] and [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag].

Ribas and VanZant have verbally agreed to fight each other July 11 at a to-be-determined UFC event, two people with knowledge of the situation told MMA Junkie on Thursday. The news was first reported by Combate.

Ribas (9-1 MMA, 3-0 UFC) and VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) originally were scheduled to square off March 14 at UFC on ESPN+ 28, but VanZant was forced to withdraw in January after suffering a setback with an arm injury that required a second surgery.

Ribas went on to defeat Randa Markos by unanimous decision to push her overall winning streak to four fights. Afterward, she said he hoped to rebook her matchup with VanZant. Ribas reiterated that desire last month when she spoke to MMA Junkie, calling for the fight to take place on “Fight Island.”

On Thursday, VanZant posted a picture of herself in fight gear on Instagram with the caption, “Coming to an island near you.”

View this post on Instagram

Coming to an island near you…….

A post shared by Paige VanZant (@paigevanzant) on May 21, 2020 at 9:56am PDT

For VanZant, the fight with Ribas represents the last on her UFC contract. She plans on testing free agency afterward. In her last bout at UFC on ESPN+ 1 in January 2019, VanZant submitted Rachael Ostovich with an armbar to snap a two-fight losing streak.

[vertical-gallery id=388806]

The women of MMA version of the ‘Don’t Rush’ Challenge is pretty great

Some of the biggest stars in women’s MMA have created their own version of the “Don’t Rush” Challenge.

Some of the most popular fighters in women’s MMA have created their own version of the #Don’tRush Challenge.

The “Don’t Rush” Challenge is a viral internet trend on TikTok, where each person involved displays their transformation from home to going out attire, in various videos that are later combined into one.

The women of MMA version includes the likes of UFC fighters [autotag]Michelle Waterson[/autotag], [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag], [autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag], and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag]; Bellator champions [autotag]Ilima-Lei Macfarlane[/autotag] and [autotag]Cris Cyborg[/autotag], along with promotional up-and-comer [autotag]Valerie Loureda[/autotag]; ONE Championship’s [autotag]Angela Lee[/autotag]; and more. In the video, the women show off some MMA skills before transforming into their glammed-up looks.

Bellator fighter [autotag]Bec Rawlings[/autotag], who’s been open about her past as a domestic violence victim, is also featured. Her part lines up with the lyrics “I hate domestic abusers/In fact they all make me sick” from the song used in the video.

Coincidence or well played?

Take a look at the women of MMA “Don’t Rush” Challenge video below courtesy of Waterson (via Instagram).

https://www.instagram.com/tv/CAG6zNUALRi/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

[vertical-gallery id=393920]