Paige VanZant Says Her Fight With Rachael Ostovich Can Show How Strong Women Are

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Paige VanZant said that she hopes her upcoming UFC on ESPN+1 fight with Rachael Ostovich can show just how strong women are. The fight was cancelled after Ostovich suffered injuries due to domestic violence, but was added back to the card once she got a second opinion from another doctor. Here are highlights:

On Ostovich’s mental toughness: “Of course, I don’t know all the details of what happened, I just knew a little bit. But I know that when she did come back and say, ‘I want to fight anyway,’ it gave me an alert, like ‘Hey, this girl is really tough.’ So I know I’m fighting somebody that’s very strong and very mentally strong, because she’s gonna go in there and fight after going through some extreme trauma like this. It just tells me that I’ve gotta be ready for the fight and be ready for somebody to come out there and have a lot to fight for.”

On using the fight as a platform to discuss social issues: “Definitely, I would love to. I hope that the UFC lets me and I hope the UFC really uses this to make a difference, because I know there has been other drama about the card and having some fighters on it. But I hope they use this moment to show powerful women, whether it just be her or whether it be both of us. To show you can fight through adversity and you can fight through these demons and still be a very successful person.”

On the importance of the fight: “At the end of the day, we’re gonna go out there and fight each other. We’re both trying to win a fight. But afterwards and even throughout the process, we can show how strong women are and use this to stand up for ourselves and stand up for women and women’s rights and everything that goes beyond — domestic violence and sexual abuse. Just use it to speak up. Even not changing anything, but just be a voice. I know we’re not the only ones who have been through it, it’s just ours are highlighted because we are on this platform.”