Sherdog’s Top 10: UFC Plans Gone Awry

10. Rose Namajunas Throttles Paige VanZant

In wake of the success of fighters like Gina Carano, Miesha Tate, Cristiane Justino and Ronda Rousey, the UFC was chomping at the bit to find the Next Big Thing in women’s MMA. Enter VanZant, an attractive and talented young fighter whose unrefined game lacked polish. She was quick to admit to being far away from challenging the elite at 115 pounds, but that did not stop the Zuffa hype train from leaving the station.

VanZant won her first three fights inside the Octagon, and some actually bought into the idea that she was closing in on a shot at UFC women’s strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk. Nothing could have been further from the truth. VanZant was paired with Namajunas in the UFC Fight Night 80 main event on Dec. 10, 2015 in Las Vegas. Namajunas was too much for the Team Alpha Male prospect to handle, as she dealt her a severe beating before forcing her to tap to a rear-naked choke in the fifth round.

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