VanZant trying to shed Rousey comparisons
Emerging UFC women’s strawweight star Paige VanZant has been compared to Ronda Rousey her entire career.
After watching Rousey suffer a devastating knockout loss against Holly Holm in Australia, VanZant now hopes to avoid a similar fate when she fights Rose Namajunas at UFC Fight Night 80 on Dec. 10 at Cosmopolitan Las Vegas.
“Nobody’s unbeatable and you always have to remember that. No matter how hard you work, somebody is always going to be out there working just as hard to try to beat you,” VanZant said on a conference call Monday. “It will be really neat to see how Ronda comes back from it.”
VanZant has always been adamant that while she is a huge fan of Rousey, she thinks it’s important to carve out her own career.
She reiterated that belief on Monday
“It’s always been an honor to be compared to her and all the success she’s had inside and outside the octagon,” VanZant said. “But we’re not only different in how we fight inside the cage, but we’re different people in our lives as well.
“I definitely want to create my own path and my own image in the UFC.”
While VanZant is often lauded for her beauty as much as her rapidly improving skills in the cage, one of her teammates said her toughness should not be questioned.
Chad Mendes participated alongside VanZant in the Tough Mudder, a 10-12 mile military-style obstacle course at Lake Tahoe in August.
“I was going as hard as I could and she was right there with me,” Mendes said. “From there, I knew she was legit and she’s definitely a top-level athlete.”
The 21-year-old will look to extend her four-fight winning streak when she fights Namajunas.
Contact reporter Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com or 702-224-5509. Follow him on Twitter: @adamhilllvrj
