Paige VanZant Aims To Become The Youngest UFC Champion
The UFC’s newest division, the women’s strawweight (115-pounds) class, has seen great success so far. After debuting the weight division on the The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 20 and crowning the inaugural champion Carla Esparza, fans became very intrigued by Esparza’s first title defense against now champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Jedrzejczyk starched Esparza, putting a huge light on the fledgling division.
However, despite the new champion, there is another contender who fans have their eyes on. This contender is non-other than No. 7-ranked “12 Guage” Paige VanZant, a Reebok –signed fighter who’s currently undefeated inside of the Octagon at only 21-years of age.
Many believe VanZant will be fast tracked to a title shot in the shallow division, but after her latest win, a dominant decision over veteran Felice Herrig at UFC on FOX 15, she stated that she doesn’t want to rush things. However, she also plans on becoming the youngest champion in UFC history, a record held by now disgraced former light heavyweight king Jon “Bones Jones.
Jones was 23-years-old when he captured gold, giving “12 Guage” some time to work with:
“I still have two years to become the youngest belt holder,” she said on a recent edition of UFC Tonight (transcribed by MMAFighting.com). “I’m going to take my time and really break that record.”
So what’s the next step for the rising contender? Well, that’s currently unclear, but a rematch with No. 5-ranked Tecia Torres, who is the only lady to ever beat VanZant, could be in the works. Torres recently voiced her opinion on the possibility of VanZant earning a title shot, saying the idea is a bit premature, and taking a shot at “12 Guage” in the process:
“If she got a title shot, I think that would be crazy,” said Torres. “I don’t think ‘Daddy Dana’ would give her a title shot, because he doesn’t want to see her die.”
VanZant is no stranger to negative comments, but she plans on keeping to herself and continuing to prove herself inside of the Octagon:
“I think that of course athletes are going to say these things, because they want huge draws behind fights,” said VanZant. “Ever since she said that, I got like a thousand followers, so, you know what? I had Felice say a lot of negative things going into that fight, but I’m not a negative person, and I love what I’m doing, every second of it. I don’t need those negative comments coming out of me. I just have a lot more to prove, and I think I’ll have a lot more to prove until someone younger takes my place.”
VanZant definitely has the looks, the charisma, and the talent to be a potential break through star in this sport. She’s undoubtedly come a long way since starring in the mop commercial below when she was younger, but does she have what it takes to become the youngest champion of all time?
