Paige VanZant feels excitement, not pressure, ahead of final bout on UFC contract

Paige VanZant knows what’s on the line on Saturday night, and she’s not stressing about it.

The 26-year-old flyweight fights the final bout on her UFC contract this weekend at UFC 251 in Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. VanZant (8-4 MMA, 5-3 UFC) takes on Amanda Ribas in the opening bout of the pay-per-view main card.

With a lot on the line, VanZant isn’t feeling any pressure despite this being a pivotal moment in her fighting career.

“For me it’s just another fight honestly,” Vanzant told MMA Junkie on Wednesday in a virtual media scrum. “I put the same amount of pressure on myself whether it’s the first fight of my career or the first fight on the main card. It doesn’t matter what position I am; it’s the same amount of pressure.

“You need to win your fights to be successful and definitely going to be a huge determining factor in the way I move forward, but at the same time, know whatever happens in the fight I’m in an amazing position. I’m just excited to see what the future brings.”

VanZant has been wanting to test free agency for some time. The former “Dancing with the Stars” contestant wants to see what her value is in the market as she’s unhappy with her current UFC deal.

“I’m excited. I’ve never been in this position ever, so I think it’s an important position for me to be in,” VanZant said. “You don’t really know your value until somebody else tells you what it is, and it’s the option of multiple people that say what they think my value is. So I’m going to gain a lot of knowledge.”