UFC’s New Image - Paige VanZant

New faces are on the horizon, in the UFC expect the unexpected. The $4 billion talent agency and the entertainment conglomerate WME-IMG are seeking something new – Star power.

With more fans backing celebrity fighters than ever before, the business is looking for people with profiles that go beyond the MMA boundaries. The UFC is even doing everything it can to create more people that fit the bill.

When the UFC stumbled upon Paige VanZant, the 22-year-old’s toughness and aggression contrasted against the model’s beautiful image. She gave up modeling to fight full time and has not looked back.

VanZant’s next big fight will be against Bec Rawlings, a star with a rising profile of her very own, in the Octagon in Vancouver in late August. Even though VanZant only has a few fights under her belt, she has a large following on social media. Combined with her fame from being the runner-up on Dancing with the Stars on season 22, she has over 12 million people watching her every move.

In the model’s case, the attention she received came before any of her matches in the cage. Before her attempt at the title that Joanna Jedrzejczyk holds. The unique combination of star power and her amazing performances in the ring are just what the UFC was after.

The feminine English name Paige is taken from the surname meaning “servant or page” from Middle English. Originally derived from the Greek word paidion meaning “little boy”.