Paige VanZant following Ronda Rousey to WWE? She'd 'definitely love to work with them'

LONDON – Paige VanZant’s focus is currently on her career within the UFC women’s flyweight division, but we might be looking at a Ronda Rousey-type migration at some point.

Rousey all but confirmed her retirement from MMA this past week and deemed a return “just as likely as me going back to another Olympics for judo” and affirming her commitment to the WWE, where she’ll officially debut on April 8. The transition wasn’t exactly a surprise to anyone, given Rousey had long been an avid pro wrestling fan and had done some special appearances even while still active in MMA.

While we may have lost one of the sport’s biggest game-changers in the process, the news seem to have been generally well-received by Rousey’s peers. That group includes fellow outside-the-octagon stars such as champ Conor McGregor and VanZant, who thinks Rousey’s move is “amazing” and would welcome a stab at it, too.

“It’s just another platform for us UFC fighters to make a name for ourselves,” VanZant said this past weekend while in London for UFC Fight Night 127. “I know Ronda is going to do awesome at it, and she’s going to make a name for herself in the WWE.

“I’m a fighter first and foremost, but if the opportunity ever came knocking, I’m not one to turn opportunities down. I think it’s an amazing organization, and I’d definitely love to work with them.”

This isn’t exactly surprising coming from VanZant (7-4 MMA, 4-3 UFC). After all, the flyweight, who’s been expressing that interest for years, has not shied away from making the most of her platform outside the octagon; she made it all the way to the finals of “Dancing with the Stars” and won the celebrity edition of  “Chopped.”

As far as life inside the octagon goes, though, VanZant has seen better days. She’s 1-3 in her past four fights and recently made the move from the 115-pound division to the newly created women’s 125-pound weight class – only to have her divisional debut spoiled by a unanimous-decision loss and a broken arm.

A skid isn’t a pleasant situation for any fighter, but for VanZant, there was an added sting that came with the UFC Fight Night 124 appointment that went Jessica-Rose Clark’s way.

“I felt awesome, and that was the biggest thing that was unfortunate for me,” VanZant said. “It’s how good I felt at that division. I felt great going into it. I felt great fighting at flyweight. And to have to not win the fight because of a broken arm – I threw the punch myself. She didn’t break it. I broke my arm all by myself on her head, so it sucks.”

It may be a “bummer,” but count on the ever-cheerful VanZant to put a positive spin on things – even when they involve having seven screws and a plate inserted in her arm.

“I can’t regret that fight,” VanZant said. “I have to go, move forward and look forward to the next one. I’m healing up. The doctor said I’m healing faster than he’s ever seen. So, three months until I can start hitting with full force and then I give myself another few weeks to get ready for a fight.”

Whom that fight may be against has yet to be determined. VanZant just knows she wants an opponent who’s “going to get me up to that next level” so she can, eventually, fight for the belt.

And that “eventually,” the way VanZant sees it, might not be too far away.

“I still definitely think that within the 125-pound division, I’m still eligible for that title shot relatively soon,” VanZant said. “I know I need to earn it and fight one or two more times, improve myself, but that’s ultimately the goal.”

When she is able to come back, VanZant might be looking at a different division. While the crown is still with its original titleholder, Nicco Montano, chances are that former bantamweight title challenger Valentina Shevchenko will be the next to get a stab at it.

VanZant is honest in that she’s yet to watch Montano fight. But aware of what Shevchenko has done both in the UFC – such as beating fellow title challenger Holly Holm in MMA and topping ex-strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk three times in kickboxing – VanZant knows one thing: She’ll be watching that one closely.

“(Shevchenko) is very very talented and a very scary fighter, but at the same time, everybody is beatable,” VanZant said. “I’m going to go into this fight watching as a fan and a fellow competitor.”

For more on the UFC’s upcoming schedule, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.