UFC Fight Night 80 Preview
The UFC begins a rapid pace this week with three fights in the span of three days and it all begins with a strawweight showdown.
The strawweight division is an interesting one as the youngest division in the UFC is still trying to figure out where their fighters stand.
Last month Joanna Jędrzejczyk beat her latest challenger in Valérie Létourneau leaving plenty of women fighting for the chance to be the next in line.
That honour is likely to go to Claudia Gadelha who pushed Jędrzejczyk as close to a loss as anyone but that doesn’t mean other fighters aren’t trying to get their spots.
At UFC Fight Night 80 two such fighters will face off looking to put themselves in line for a title shot but not without some controversy.
Paige VanZant is one of the best young fighters in the UFC right now and she is getting the chance to fight what looks to be a top contender spot.
At only the age of 21 and only three fights into her UFC career she is ready to take on a top contender and potentially put herself as the next in line for the belt.
That doesn’t sit well with a lot of people though as the UFC is running into an issue that only women’s sports see.
In women’s sports there is a constant battle between being recognized for skill and being recognized for your marketability.
Essentially women have to continue to prove themselves in their chosen sport to show that they are an athlete and not just a pretty face.
Every time an attractive female athlete gets some success they are immediately put in magazines and movies and people begin to question whether or not they are so popular because of their ability or their looks.
VanZant is going through that battle right now as many people believe that she is in the position to fight in the main event at UFC Fight Night 80 because the UFC is trying to build their next superstar.
VanZant is very similar athlete to Ronda Rousey, a young attractive female who is the perfect cover athlete for the UFC.
What some may over look though is that the young attractive fighter is also a great athlete that has shown plenty of promise in her young career.
She is a part of a generation of fighters that is only now entering the UFC who didn’t come to MMA through other sports.
She began training MMA from the start and as a result she is a well-rounded fighter with no one big weakness or strength.
She will look to prove that her training has made her much more than just a pretty face and that she can back up the hype built around her with a legitimate title run.
She will take on a fighter that has nowhere near the hype surrounding her but is equally as young and qualified to be the face of the strawweight division.
Rose Namajunas came into the strawweight division with the cast of TUF fighters and came within one fight of the title at the end of the show.
She hasn’t been the most active fighter since the show but she is beginning to build her case for getting another crack at the title as an improved fighter after her time on the show.
She will look to end the hype machine for VanZant and bring the spotlight onto her only a few years after she was considered the next champion.
Both of these fighters have the capability to be the face of the division but they are far more than just the good looking athlete, they are very good fighters.
Both are good standing and on the ground as two fighters in the new generation face-off to show the best of the strawweight division.
When the fight is over one of these young fighters will likely take a spot directly behind Gadelha for the title as they wait for Jędrzejczyk to return after she takes a break.
With two young fighters in the strawweight division and a number of other young talent on the card UFC Fight Night 80 is a glimpse of the future of the UFC to kick-off a big week for the promotion.
The Sport Addiction 