The Fighting Phenom

At just 22, rising UFC star Paige VanZant is already proving that she can take on MMA and Hollywood. Just don’t underestimate her power.

- Diana Kelly

IF YOU COME ACROSS UFC fighter Paige VanZant outside the Octagon, your first instinct might be to give the beaming blonde a hug. But if you're going to spar with her, you might want to duck. At 5'4" and a fighting weight of 115 pounds, the Sacramento, CA-based strawweight has a vicious kick, strong leg locks, and a 7-2 record in MMA, with two knockouts and two submissions among her wins. The 22-year-old former cheerleader, dancer, and model got into mixed martial arts after her dad took her to a local MMA gym. It took only one class for her to fall in love with it. She began competing as an amateur at age 18, winning her first fight in just 50 seconds, and went pro two months later, making her debut in June 2012 and her first UFC fight in November 2014.