Paige VanZant’s Team In No Rush For A Title Shot
Jumping up seven spots in the women’s strawweight rankings by defeating The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) veteran Felice Herrig on the grand stage of last weekend’s (Sat., April 18, 2015) UFC on FOX 15, rising young star Paige VanZant instantly put her name on the short list of contenders in the very new 115-pound division.
It’s not that VanZant, who only has six pro fights to her name, is the most deserving, but she is undoubtedly the most popular after delivering on the hype that earned her a Reebok endorsement deal after only a single UFC win.
But although “12 Gauge” delivered on Saturday night, her management isn’t necessarily in a rush to get her booked to fight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk anytime soon. Ariel Helwani revealed on UFC Tonight that he had spoke with her manager Mike Roberts, and they’re planning on waiting to see how things play out:
Paige VanZant’s manager says “slow and steady wins the race”. Not looking to get a title shot anytime soon in the PVZ camp.
— UFC Tonight (@UFCTonight) April 23, 2015
That could be the best course of action, because even though VanZant should grow in popularity with each bout, it’s not worth risking that to fast track her to a bout against a champion like Jedrzejczyk. At only 21 years old, VanZant has all the time in the world to become the strawweight division’s Ronda Rousey, a fighter whose in-cage talent is rivaled by her beauty and marketability in mainstream media.
While it wouldn’t disappear with a bad loss, it would certainly be harmed and/or stunted, so VanZant’s team would seemingly have their heads in the right place. Roberts said he’d like for her to return against a top 10-ranked opponent sometime this fall, and with a bevy of 115-pound bouts certain to come in the jam-packed summer schedule, a slew of decent options should pop up.
The sky’s the limit for VanZant, but her team made the correct move in not getting greedy by trying to get her there just yet.
Photo Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
