Paige VanZant
Paige Michelle Vanderford is Paige VanZant’s real name. She competes in the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s flyweight division. But this isn’t quite as interesting as the events that inspired her to pursue a career in mixed martial arts in the first place. She was bullied in high school and, like any other freshman, all she wanted was approval from the crowd, which led to her assault while being blackout drunk.
She attempted to fight it, but her body became sluggish and her mind felt foggy. She couldn’t do anything about it until she started competing years later. She turned professional a year after winning her amateur fight. Her main goal now is to raise awareness about bullying and to speak out against assault.