6. Open Training Session
It’s hard to deny that the UFC is pushing Sage Northcutt and Paige VanZant as the future of the company, even if neither one of them is ready for championship fights just yet (or if they will ever be).
Ahead of UFC Fight Night 80: Namajunas vs. VanZant in December of last year, the UFC held open workouts that featured both Northcutt and VanZant. While such media events are common place in the sport, this particular photo-op seemed more like a red-carpet gala event than a group of fighters showcasing their skills. This was due of course, to the youthful, movie-star good looks of both Northcutt and VanZant.
VanZant would encourage the crowd to make noise as she jumped rope, worked out with pretty pink boxing gloves on, and gave hints as to what her strategy would be against Rose Namajunas (it didn’t work).
While Thug Rose used VanZant as a stepping stone to reach up higher in the rankings, it was still VanZant that maintained the majority of the public’s attention.
