American mixed martial artist Paige VanZant has earned the first stripe on her Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu belt. The Oregon native started her BJJ journey under the Gracie Barra banner and their coach Fabiano Scherner.
VanZant was one of eleven women who signed with Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) under the newly minted Strawweight Division in 2013.
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Her journey with BJJ follows on the heels of two disappointing performances in the octagon with losses at the hands of Rose Namajunas and Karate’s Michelle Waterson. Last year VanZant became one of the celebrities to compete on season 22 of ABC’s Dancing With The Stars partnering with professional Mark Ballas. The couple made it all the way into the finals and ended up in a respectable second place. Earlier this year she also competed on The Food Network’s hit show Chopped in the “Star Power: Culinary Muscle” episode. Posing with coach Scherner in a social media post, VanZant announced her first stripe earn, promising “many more to come”.
Hmmm, interesting. There is a Gracie Humaita school in Reno Nevada that has a video of her on their website. She says its that school is where she “started her BJJ journey”. Who to believe Paige or Paige?