Strawweight Paige VanZant entered the UFC on a 3-1 record; it was widely felt that her mediagenic looks played a role in the signing. However, she won Fight of the Night in her debut. Then she won two more. Next came a tough, tough loss to now division champ Rose Namajunas, which won her even more fans.
PVZ rebounded with a performance bonus switch kick win over Bec Rawlings. Now VanZant is on a two-fight losing streak, but the losses to Michelle Waterson and Jessica-Rose Clark have not diminished her popularity, and it’s not because of her looks, it’s because Paige VanZant is a badass who brings it every fight.
However, her looks likely helped her land an appearance on Dancing With The Stars. And PVZ landed a book contract, highly unusual for a fighter hovering around #15 in the UFC rankings. And she’s just 24. But the autobiography is not trite. It’s titled ‘Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life‘ and discusses being gang-raped in high school
“I have been through some very painful experiences in life,” wrote VanZant on her social network. “I always felt ashamed and hid what happened. I thought less of myself and was angry at God for allowing it happen to me. But now I know that I was given my platform for a purpose. I was meant to be here and share my story to inspire others who are down and out and have been through hell. I hope people get this book and I can share with them how I came back from the darkest part of my life to where I am now. I want to teach people how to RISE. I am so excited to share my story. You can preorder my book in my bio as it gets released in April ❤️#rise
