Paige VanZant plans to fulfill contract before her next surgery
Fighting with a broken arm is something Paige VanZant is willing to do again.
She first fractured her arm in a decision loss to Jessica-Rose Clark at UFC Fight Night 124 in January 2018. VanZant underwent a series of surgeries since then, stemming from a surgically implanted plate.
The plate’s purpose is to stabilize the bone. Today, the plate is the cause of additional fractures in her arm.
“The timeline is fight one more time [and] I’ll be in contract negotiations at that point,” VanZant said to Martin.
“I’ll be a free agent,” VanZant said. “Theoretically that could take a long time to go through that negotiation process. So it’s the perfect time to have one more arm surgery and heal it the right way.”
An ongoing isssue
The plate in her arm continues to be an ongoing issue for VanZant over the past two years. She returned to the octagon a year later after fighting the entire third round with a broken arm against Clark.
VanZant earned a second-round submission victory against Rachael Ostovich at UFC on ESPN+ 1 on Jan. 19, 2019. She left the bout injury free, but re-fractured her arm a week later in sparring.
VanZant underwent another surgery before scheduling a bout with Amanda Ribas in March. She suffered another break before the matchup, eventually scrapping the bout.
“So the biggest problem is I need to get the plate out in my arm,” VanZant said.“I have a plate that pretty much runs from my wrist to my elbow, and each one of those has a screw hole, so I have seven screws in my arm.
“Each one of those screw holes is technically a hole in your bone, so they’re all weak points. Then at the front of your plate and at the end of your plate is a weak point, too. Because your bone flexes, and it bends whereas the plate doesn’t bend, your arm bends around the plate. Each time I’ve re-broken it, I’ve broken through a screw hole. I just need to get the plate taken out, so it’s just another surgery I have to look forward to.”
Have it your way
The eight-time UFC veteran rather not undergo another surgery. Following the advice from her doctors, Paige VanZant knows removing the plate will help avoid further issues to her arm.
VanZant is keen on returning to the cage, whether the plate is in her arm or not. Finishing her contract is the first priority.
“I do know I have the confidence [that] if I do break my arm in a fight again, I’m not going to quit,” VanZant said. “It’s definitely not going to take me out of the fight.”
