Earlier this week it was announced that Joanne Calderwood had been forced out of her UFC FN 80 headlining bout against Paige VanZant.
It was also announced that Rose Namajunas had stepped in on short notice to fight VanZant in the main event.
MMAFighting spoke to VanZant to discuss her thoughts on fighting Namajunas as a late-replacement.
“Right away, I was like, ‘Alright, who can we get to replace her?’ The hard thing is that, with strawweights, there are not that many of us, so most everyone had fights lined up or they just fought or they’re injured, so right away I was like, ‘Let’s call the UFC and get someone to replace her,’ and my manager called me right back and said, ‘I talked to Dana. Rose [Namajunas] is good.’”
“No hesitation at all — none whatsoever. I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in, this is the best fight camp I’ve ever had, and it’s just the beginning of it. I have no injuries. I’m going in, I’m training harder than ever. I had a short break between fights, and that really helps me stay super, super in-shape. It’s perfect for me to get a fight right away.
“I’m just ready to get back in there and showcase my skills. I’m really excited that I get to fight someone that’s ranked higher than me, and I’m going to move up the rankings.”
You can see a trailer for UFC FN 80 Namajunas vs. VanZant by clicking THIS LINK.