Paige VanZant Wants To Avenge “Fluke” Loss To TUF 20 Competitor Tecia Torres
Paige VanZant made a great first impression in her UFC debut against Kailin Curran at UFC Fight Night 57 last weekend (Sat., November 22, 2014). VanZant and Curran received “Fight of the Night” honors in an exciting bout that “12 Gauge” ended with an impressive third round TKO.
Before her UFC debut, VanZant wasn’t all that widely known in the MMA world. However, being just 20 years old, some have deemed her to be the future of the UFC’s brand new women’s strawweight division.
VanZant has been almost perfect in her MMA career, boasting an impressive 4-1 record. But that one loss, which came to The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 20 contestant Tecia Torres, still resonates stongly in her mind.
Speaking to MMA Junkie, VanZant claims the win was a “fluke,” and if she gets another shot to scrap with Torres, the result would be different:
“I want to get that loss back; that fight is definitely in the plan. That was a fluke in my fight game. I went in there not ready. I wasn’t prepared for that fight. Of course, I took a loss and I’ll take that loss and wear it. But I’m very excited to hopefully get a rematch with her and avenge that loss.”
“12 Gauge” may actually get her wish, as the idea of the two meeting again is not so far fetched. However, it may depend on the outcome of TUF 20. Torres is only two wins away from fighting for the inaugural women’s strawweight championship at the TUF 20 Finale on December 12, 2014.
That could mean that VanZant is miles away from facing Tottes, so she admitted that she has been paying close attention to the show:
“I’ve been impressed by a few people. I’d like to fight Tecia again, but I’m going to fight whoever the UFC wants me to fight. They’re in charge of me from now on and I trust them with whatever decisions they make for me.”
VanZant went on to say that she has no preference or prediction to who wins the belt, but she hopes to get her chance at UFC gold in the near future. She also claims that she is ready to get back in the cage as soon as possible:
“I’m ready to fight again right now. The adrenaline rush you get from going in the cage and fighting is just so amazing. I’m addicted to the adrenaline and I’m ready to fight again right now. That’s all I have on my mind is getting back in the gym and getting ready for the next one.”
It seems as if “12 Gauge” has all the makings of a star in the women’s new division, and a win over Torres could boost her close to the top. Will the young star be able to avenge her only loss on the grand stage of the UFC?
