UFC is getting ready to introduce the first ever women's flyweight title when they crown the champion of the latest season of "The Ultimate Fighter." It's not surprising given the explosion in popularity the sport has undergone in the last few years. The biggest surprise came with an announcement on Twitter Saturday night from strawweight Paige VanZant.
My next fight is against the winner of the 125 division Ultimate Fighter. Don’t blink.
— Paige VanZant (@PaigeVanzantUFC) November 5, 2017
Her tweet was immediately disputed.
Just spoke to UFC officials, who say there are no plans of a Paige VanZant 125-pound title fight being formalized as of right now.
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) November 5, 2017
VanZant (7-3) is coming off a loss in her most recent fight when she lost via submission to Michelle Waterson in December 2016. She's battled with back injuries over the last few months and was hoping to fight either at the end of 2017 or early in 2018. But this is mind-boggling for a few reasons.
VanZant has traded wins and loses in her last four fights. Not only is she probably not deserving of a title fight, she's probably two or three fights away from getting that shot. If VanZant does get the title shot, it would be another shot at the already broken UFC rankings system.
