Paige VanZant Says She’s Not A Green Fighter

In an interview with MMA Fighting, Paige VanZant denied Michelle Waterson’s claims that she was a “green” and inexperienced fighter. The two will fight at UFC on FOX 22 this Saturday. Here are highlights:

On being green: “Everyone thinks I’m super green, but I’m not. I have confidence in my skill and I know I’ve worked hard for this fight, so I’m excited to go in there and show my athletic capabilities. I have skills that I showed in my last fight, my athletic capabilities, with that awesome head kick knockout, so I’m ready to go in there and show a little more fireworks.”

On how far she’s come: “It is funny. When I first started fighting, Michelle Waterson and Felice Herrig and all these girls, they had already held belts in the division. You know, I understand people think I’m green, or think I’m new to the sport. But I’m a high-level athlete and I learn very, very quickly. I have a high level of tenacity and that gets me a lot of victories and not a lot of people have that.”

On main eventing with Waterson: “I actually didn’t find out I was the main event until it was announced on Twitter. I was like ‘Am I in main event?’ and it was confirmed. It was a huge, super exciting thing, I called my parents. It’s crazy to me I get to be on the main event again. It’s a huge deal to have Urijah on it fighting for the last time. It’s bittersweet, I cant wait to see him dominate.”