After an impressive win over Rachael Ostovich at UFC Brooklyn in January, fan favorite UFC flyweight contender Paige VanZant is already targeted to return to the cage. According to a report from Brazilian outlet Combate, VanZant will collide with Poliana Botelho at UFC 226, which goes down on April 13 at a yet undetermined location.
With her January win over Rachael Ostovich, Paige VanZant bounced back from a pair of tough losses: a submission loss to Michelle Waterson, and a decision loss to Jessica-Rose Clark in her flyweight debut. This skid was preceded by a highlight reel, switch-kick knockout of current BKFC champ Bec Rawlings. VanZant is 8-4 overall.
Poliana Botelho, on the other hand, is 7-2 in sum. Her last fight occurred in November, when she was defeated by surging flyweight contender Cynthia Calvillo. Prior to this setback, she defeated Syuri Kondo by TKO and Pearl Gonzales by decision in her UFC debut.
Interestingly, VanZant was recently called out by Montana De La Rosa, who just beat Nadia Kassem at UFC 234. UFC President Dana White seemed to be all for this matchup, although the promotion seems to have taken a different direction.
What do you think of this Paige VanZant vs. Poliana Botelho matchup? Who do you think will come out on top? Join the conversation in the comments section below.
This article first appeared on BJPENN.COM on 2/20/2019.