PVZ: DWTS made me realize I don’t get paid much… still ‘blessed’

UFC strawweight Paige VanZant got $40,000 in her last fight, a loss to Rose Namajunas. If she won, she would have received another $40,000.

By contrast, former men’s bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw made $25,000 to show and $25,000 to win his his last fight, at UFC 200.

VanZant has a direct contract with Reebok. Dillashaw doesn’t.

For that reason, some fighters are not impressed with the opportunities VanZant has received, which are based on her marketability. By marketability, the market means “hot.”

However, PVZ said that her recent appearance on “Dancing With The Stars” led her to realize how little she makes. Still, she was hopeful after seeing featherweight champion Conor McGregor make $3,000,000 and Nate Diaz $2,000,000 in the main event of UFC 202.

Hopefully it means us other fighters are going to get a little bit bigger paychecks, said VanZant told reporters at the UFC on FOX 21 open workouts, as transcribed by Mike Bohn and John Morgan for MMAjunkie. Definitely going through ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ I got to see what other athletes out there make, and I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t make that much money.’ But I still feel blessed to be part of the UFC. They pay me better than any other job I’ve had, so I feel blessed.

PVZ, 22, reportedly made over six figures in coming in second on DWTS, but said she missed the violence” in MMA.

I just took a short break and went to ‘Dancing With The Stars,’ said VanZant. A lot of fighters have longer breaks than I do and they don’t get to do an experience like that or a huge blessing like that. I just felt like hopefully ‘Dancing With the Stars’ brought a few new fans over that will come watch me fight on Saturday.

Rawlings is on a two fight win streak, and big (for the division).

I don’t think that’s going to be an issue, said VanZant. I fought really big fighters. Felice Herrig was definitely a bigger opponent than me. Some of my other fights that weren’t with the UFC, I’ve fought people that were much, much bigger than me. I train with all guys that were fighting in the 125 division. I don’t have to change anything about my camp.

I’ve definitely improved a lot with the technique and the thing with combat sports is, when you don’t give yourself those breaks you’re constantly putting wear and tear on your body. Luckily, I’m very young and I can recover and bounce back quickly. But having those few months off with ‘Dancing With the Stars,’ I was able to heal minor injuries I was pushing through fight camp with. Now I didn’t have to deal with those.

Paige VanZant fight Bec Rawlings on the main card of UFC on FOX 21, also known as UFC on Fox: Maia vs. Condit, also known as UFC Fight Night: Vancouver on Saturday, August 27, 2016 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Canada.