Paige VanZant saddened by Dana White’s UFC 251 comments – ‘thought we were closer friends’

Paige VanZant has hit back at Dana White’s comments that said she should “definitely test free agency” after her UFC 251 defeat by Amanda Ribas.

The UFC president was blunt in his assessment of the American 26-year-old’s performance in the main card opener on Fight Island in Abu Dhabi last weekend. In the last fight of her UFC contract, VanZant (8-5) tapped out to a slick first-round armbar from rising Ribas (10-1), whose career trajectory at the same age is going the opposite way in the company with White effusive in his praise for the Brazilian.

“When you talk all that stuff about not getting paid enough then you know, fighting inconsistently, one time in the last year, Injuries and then got smoked in the first round of the fight. She should definitely test free agency,” White had said.

“Honestly, I didn’t actually see specifically the quote or what he said. I try not to pay attention too much,” VanZant told MMA Fighting. “It’s unfortunate because I feel like I have a really good relationship with Dana.

“I feel like I thought we were closer friends and he could text me or call me. Something to have a little bit of compassion, something to communicate with me personally but maybe he will. We just don’t know. I’m sure it’s an uncomfortable situation.”

VanZant has clashed with the UFC in negotiations over the last year, claiming she makes more money from Instagram than fighting in the Octagon.

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She signalled her desire to test free agency before the Ribas fight, with Bellator president Scott Coker confirming he has “serious” interest in signing “12 Gauge”, whose husband Austin Vanderford fights in the promotion.

“I’ve never spoken negatively about the UFC,” VanZant told MMA Fighting. “I’m not bitter about where I am in my career, bitter about the position that the UFC has put me in whatsoever. I just felt like for myself, I wanted to test free agency and that’s not because I dislike the UFC or dislike Dana or anybody.

“I know the way my career has looked the last few years but I also know the talent that I have fought against. The combined record of the people who have beat me is pretty high. Losing to the people I have lost to, I still consider myself one of the best athletes in the world. I know I’m going to be a champion. I know that I’ll come back and keep fighting for many, many years.”

VanZant suggests the UFC was trying to prove a point by matching her up against Ribas in her final fight.

“This is the exact fight the UFC wanted,” VanZant said. “They kind of do this to people when they’re on the last fight on their contract. They give them, like, the perfect style match-up. I went against somebody, she’s 10-1, I’ve almost had lay-offs, calculating like three years I’ve only been able to fight once cause I keep getting injured.

“Obviously, it was the very toughest opponent they could give me for my one returning fight I had left. I didn’t play into what the UFC wanted. Of course, I still had confidence going into it. Amanda was so talented. I’m so excited to see where her career goes.”