Paige VanZant thinks an all-women's UFC card is not too far away.
The UFC's women's division is being represented by the likes of Rosa Namajunas, Amanda Nunes, Valentina Shevchenko, Cris Cyborg and more high-profile and talented names within the division. Gina Carano and current WWE RAW Women's Champion and UFC Hall Of Famer Ronda Rousey and are looked at as pioneers of female fighters in the UFC.
Paige "12 Gauge" VanZant is hoping to ingrain her name in the halls of the best fighters in the history of the sport and she named-dropped some current and former MMA fighters that she feels paved the way for women in MMA and also named several fighters who are on their way to that level. VanZant chatted with Sun Sport and expressed that by looking at the direction in-which the UFC women's division is headed, she believes the company is not too far off from having an all-female card.
“I look back at the likes of Cris Cyborg, Gina Carano - they were the real pioneers and who I looked up to, and then after Gina and Cris it was the era of Ronda and Miesha [Tate] and now me, Joanna and all the other fighters in the UFC. It feels awesome, I don’t even consider myself a pioneer. I know that I’m in the era that’s making MMA more mainstream and more popular to the everyday fan. We are doing so good and I think it’s awesome that there are so many fans behind women’s MMA and the stigma that fighting is for men is almost completely gone." VanZant expressed. "In a few more years I think we will be able to have an all women’s UFC card - I think it’s that big at the moment. We’ve made that big statement that we belong in the UFC. I’ve never felt like I was at a disadvantage being a woman in MMA. I just saw it as a chance to fight to prove my worth a person and athlete.”
Fightful recapped UFC Fight Night: Nashville this past Saturday and our review of that event is up on the Fightful MMA & Boxing YouTube channel that also features exclusive interviews and our weekly podcasts.
