Paige VanZant: I've worked and sacrificed for my opportunities
Strawweight UFC contender Paige VanZant has made a splash in the sport of MMA. That's resulted in a score of wins, an upcoming main event opportunity and endorsement deals.
The 21-year-old's stardom has also earned her no small amount of resentment from haters. During a recent conversation with Submission Radio, VanZant admitted that it is difficult to deal with so much negativity directed at her as she pursues her dreams.
"I wanna say it wasn't hard, but it was," she said.
"I do take what people say to heart, and it was hard at first, but then I have to look at it like, I have so many blessings in my life. There's no way I should look at anything like this with a negative heart or with a negative emotion behind it. So I just think about how blessed I am."
VanZant also takes pride in knowing that, pretty or not, she's worked hard and given fighting her all just like any other fighter. At the end of the day, all that matters to her is working hard and getting wins.
"I know how hard I've worked, and I know what I've sacrificed, and I've had a very, very hard road to get to the UFC," she says
"So I know I deserve every second and every opportunity I'm getting, and I'm just going to continue to win fights and make a great statement for these companies. I am very blessed to be a part of Reebok, and I just want to continue be a good representative of their company, and for all the companies i work with moving forward."
That said, being heavily marketed in large part because of how she looks is a bit awkward for the Team Alpha Male member. She recognizes that it gives her a push, but is also smart enough to realize that the moment she starts to slip, no photo shoot will be able to help her career.
"Yeah, it is a funny question, and it's obviously one that I've gotten a lot, and something so many people are curious about. But I think people just still have to remember that this is still an entertainment industry. It's all about ticket sales and it's about how many people you can bring to the fights, and how many sales you can get," she reasoned.
"And in reality though, if I lose my fights, none of it matters. It doesn't matter if people think I'm good-looking, it doesn't matter if I have this draw behind me. If I lose my fights, I'm gonna lose all of that. So for me, the pressure is still high. The pressure is still on to win fights, and I'm gonna continue to do that."
