Paige VanZant wants rematch with Tecia Torres and others from 'TUF 20' house

UFC women’s strawweight Paige VanZant is now officially an octagon veteran after a third-round stoppage of Kailin Curran in her debut at Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 57.

VanZant’s first UFC fight might have come next month had age restrictions not kept her from competing on “The Ultimate Fighter,” but the 20-year-old newcomer said she’s happy the way things worked out.

And she’s got some unfinished business.

“I think I set a really great tone,” said VanZant, whose win earned her a $50,000 bonus for “Fight of the Night.” The bout served on the FOX Sports 1 main card of the event at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

“I definitely think I proved myself in this fight that I didn’t need to be on ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ to make a name for myself, and I’m really excited to fight whoever comes out of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ house as soon as possible,” she added. “There’s a lot of girls in that house that I’d match myself up with; one of the standout fighters was Tecia Torres. She’s my only loss. So I’m excited to get that rematch with her, or whoever comes out of ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ house, or the belt holder when that happens.”

The winner of this season’s reality show, of course, will emerge as the inaugural champion of the women’s strawweight class, even though the UFC began promoting fights within the division several months ago.

VanZant might have had a UFC belt by next month, but she said she’s happy to settle for a good debut win in the octagon.

“I found my new training camp and I’ve been able to really set myself on the tracks that I needed to be in to win my fights,” she said. “I have a much better mindset going into the fights now. I wouldn’t change it for the world. It was bittersweet not going on to ‘The Ultimate Fighter’ house; I was really fortunate that I was considered for such a great thing, but this ended up being the best thing for me.”

VanZant’s (4-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) smile before the fight belied a fierce determination in the cage. She withstood the kicks and punches of Curran to get inside and dirty box, and when Curran (3-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) took her to the ground, she threatened with submissions.

“Going into it, I always get nervous before I perform,” she said. “I didn’t feel it through the fight camp; I didn’t feel it on the way out here. Once I walk out to the cage, all the nerves set in, and I’m used to being under pressure. I perform really well under pressure. I mean, what a way to kick off my UFC career with a bonus. I’m still in shock.”

There won’t be too much time to get comfortable, though. It sounds like VanZant has plenty of potential opponents lining up in her future.

For complete coverage of UFC Fight Night 57, check out the UFC Events section of the site.