Rising UFC star Paige VanZant is fighting again this weekend at UFC on FOX 22 against Michelle Waterson, but before she was allowed to step into the Octagon she had to strip down to her birthday suit to make weight. The women’s flyweight fighter needed every ounce of weight off her that she should get, and ended up using the one pound over allowance on non-title fights to land at 116 pounds.
VanZant didn’t seemed too flustered at the prospect of getting naked in front of a room full of MMA media, reporters, and cameras. It helps that the UFC had several female staffers on hand to hold a large circular curtain around her so nothing sensitive could be seen. The Dancing With The Stars runner up went so far as to jokingly strike a pose as a commissioner announced her weight and fire finger guns at the crowd of onlookers.
“You’ll have to pay more for that!” she said with a smile and a laugh as she dressed back up. “Just kidding”
Stripping naked to make weight is a time honored combat sports tradition, and it’s nice to see that the women in the UFC can do it without it devolving into a complete circus. The new private early weigh-ins definitely help, as well as all the kinks in the process being worked out by the brave pioneers of MMA past like Deadpool star Gina Carano, who suffered through a wardrobe malfunction during a similar weigh-in back in 2008.
