Paige VanZant looks to sign ‘quick’ with new promotion and fight this year after UFC career ends with whimper
- American says she ‘hit rock bottom’ with Amanda Ribas loss at UFC 251 in final fight of contract
- ‘It’s just going to make my comeback story greater,’ says VanZant, who wants ‘quick’ resolution to free agency negotiations
Paige VanZant is wasting no time hanging around after her UFC career appeared to end with a whimper via a first-round submission loss to Amanda Ribas on Fight Island this month.
“I’m sad about the way it went, but this is the first time in my entire career where … I get emotional after losses, and most times I’ll cry for like a week, but this fight, I only cried for like an hour after the loss,” the 26-year-old told MMA Fighting.
“For the first time in my life, I finally realised the losses definitely don’t define you. Maybe I did have to hit rock bottom. It’s just going to make my comeback story that much greater coming off a loss and an arm injury, and I have 10-plus years to fight and show off how good I am.”
The American (8-5), who has had complications and lengthy injury lay-offs after breaking her arm against Jessica-Rose Clark in January 2018, tapped out at 2:21 of the first round at UFC 251 in Abu Dhabi after Brazilian Ribas (10-1) applied an arm bar.
“I don’t want to have surgery again,” VanZant said. “Before the fight, I had said I might need to have one more arm surgery to feel 100 per cent, but even through this, I do feel 100 per cent, and I’m hoping to sign a new fight promotion with somebody and fight this year if I can.”