Paige VanZant’s first foray into the flyweight division will not be against Valentina Shevchenko, nor will there be a title on the line. She faces Jessica-Rose Clark at UFC St. Louis.
MMA Fighting first reported the addition of Paige VanZant and Jessica-Rose Clark to UFC St. Louis.
Paige VanZant has made a name for herself in the UFC’s strawweight division with a 4-2 record as well as appearances on reality shows Dancing with the Stars and Chopped. At just 23-years-old, she is one of the most well-known female fighters in the promotion. VanZant will be making her debut at flyweight after tough weight cuts to 115-pounds, that had her fainting at times.
Jessica-Rose Clark just made her promotional debut last weekend in a co-main event slot opposite Bec Rawlings at UFC Sydney. Jessy-Jess put forth a solid performance, utilizing both grappling and striking to defeat veteran Bec Rawlings. Unfortunately, Clark missed weight for the flyweight, but that could be contributed to her short notice call to the contest. Clark is 8-4 in her MMA career and is riding a two-fight win streak into UFC St. Louis.
By the time this event takes place, the flyweight division will be fully adopted by the UFC with the incoming Ultimate Fighter class crowning a champion in the beginning of December. There have been two women’s flyweight bouts in the Octagon thus far, with Clark participating in the second.
An interesting wrinkle to this contest is the fact that Jessica Eye will be on the same card as Paige VanZant. The two were originally supposed to battle last month, but VanZant pulled out with a multitude of injuries. Rather than rescheduling the bout, each fighter gets a new opponent on the same card in the future.
UFC Fight Night 124 will take place on January 14 from the Scottrade Center in St. Louis, Missouri. Fights reported for the card as of this writing include Vitor Belfort vs. Uriah Hall, Jessica Eye vs. Kalindra Faria, and Michael Johnson vs. Darren Elkins.
