PVZ: I want to follow in Ronda’s footsteps

UFC women’s strawweight Paige VanZant is one of a handful of UFC fighters signed directly to Reebok. Tonight is only her third fight in the UFC. She is only 21. A part of her success is that she has a pretty face.

However, in the absence of talent, pretty faces get crooked fast in this sport. PVZ also has star talent.

She opens the main card tonight, vs. Alex Chambers who is unranked and 36.

The attention means nothing if I don’t win fights, said PVZ to Alex Solano for the LA Times.

The UFC tells me to be somewhere and I do it. This is my personality. I love doing the media things, love getting dressed up. I’m also a girl . . . .

Obviously I want to follow Ronda, she’s done amazing things and it just shows me how far I can take this. I would love to follow in her footsteps. I want to continue winning fights and create a name for myself and maybe I’ll get the opportunities that she is getting.

I look at ( UFC strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk) as a potential opponent, but also do love that we have someone like her as champion, especially for the division. She’s an amazing fighter and [I] look forward to seeing her fight Claudia [Gadelha, probably her next opponent]. That will really solidify her as champion.

I just turned 21. I still have two years to break the record as the youngest champion in the UFC’s history. I’m going to take my time on this journey. I have a career, and not a lot of 21-year-olds can say that, so I want to enjoy the ride.

I love every second of being in the UFC, love every opportunity I’ve been given and when it’s my turn for the title shot, I’ll be ready for it.