By the Numbers: Paige VanZant
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As “12 Gauge” gears up for this pivotal bout, here are some numbers that have endeared her to mixed martial arts fans.
15: Years old when she first entered an MMA gym. VanZant’s family
owned a dance studio, so she was brought up dancing ballet, jazz
and hip-hop. She initially tried to look for a studio when they
moved to Sparks, Nevada, but ended up training at Lion’s Den in
Reno instead.
50: Seconds was all she needed to submit Morgan Hunter in her first amateur bout at a local promotion called Ultimate Reno Combat. But before that, she joined a few amateur boxing matches. She then decided to focus on MMA, sharpening her skills under the tutelage of Ken Shamrock. Two years later, she turned pro.
3: Full rounds in her professional debut. VanZant faced Jordan Nicole Gaza at UWF: Tournament of The Warriors and won by split decision.
2: Straight victories to start her professional career. VanZant followed up her successful debut with a unanimous decision victory over Amber Stautzenberger at Premiere Fight Series 2. For her third fight, however, she lost to fellow future Ultimate Fighting Championship standout, Tecia Torres.
20: Years old when she was signed by the UFC. VanZant was one of the youngest fighters in the entire roster at the time, but her youth didn’t prove much of a hurdle as evidenced by her successful debut. “12 Gauge” stopped Kailin Curran in the final frame and earned Fight of the Night honors.
4: Straight victories was her longest winning streak. After losing to Torres, she racked up wins over quality opponents such as Curran, Courtney Himes, Felice Herrig and Alex Chambers.
73: Significant strikes was the most she landed in a single fight. This was against Chambers at UFC 191. She slowly softened her opponent, and when the opportunity presented itself, VanZant locked in an armbar that ended the fight at 1:01 of the third round.
2: Performance bonuses. Apart from her Fight of the Night performance versus Curran, she also earned $50,000 in bonus money with her Performance of the Night award against Bec Rawlings at UFC on Fox 21.
3: UFC fights in which she scored at least two takedowns. She forced three each on Chambers and Curran and two on Herrig.
24: Years of age. VanZant was born on March 26, 1994, in Dundee, Oregon. Apart from being a professional fighter, she is also an author, a former model and television personality who has appeared on “Dancing with the Stars” and “Chopped.”
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