Is Paige VanZant the next Ronda Rousey?

AFTER beating Aussie Alex Chambers at UFC 191 with a brutal armbar, Paige VanZant appears to be taking a leaf out of Ronda Rousey’s book.

‘I want to follow Ronda Rousey’

PAIGE VanZant was relentless in her defeat of Australian strawweight Alex Chambers during their fight at UFC 191 in Las Vegas.

With a whole lot to prove, VanZant wasted no time in staking her claim as a serious fighter, throwing a flurry of punches throughout the beginning of the first round.

An impressive trip take-down saw VanZant take the upper hand with a series of ground and pound strikes leading into the first break.

Chambers was chasing the American for the rest of the fight, and failed to ever really gain an advantage.

VanZant’s “Ronda moment” came at the 1:01 mark of the third round, when she managed to get Chambers to the ground, and using a series of punches, secured the armbar, which in no time saw the Australian submit.

The move saw fans liken the 21-year-old to UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey, who is notorious for her armbar submissions.

Nice arm-bar finish from Sacramento's Team Alpha Male female Paige VanZant. Ronda Rousey woulda' been proud of that. #UFC191

— Sean Cunningham (@SeanCunningham) September 6, 2015

Paige VanZant pulled out a trick from the Ronda Rousey Playbook of Armbars. #UFC191

— Chris Toplack (@christoplack) September 6, 2015

NICE! A Ronda Rousey quality transition and lock. Good job Paige VanZant! #UFC191 1 for 1.

— Gil Shalev (@cobainco) September 6, 2015

Paige VanZant pulling a Ronda Rousey #UFC191

— Dennis Tzeng (@ThinkHero) September 6, 2015

I know Mike Goldberg didn’t say Paige Vanzant’s armbar was Ronda Rousey like… #UFC191

— Jamie Graning (@Graning21) September 6, 2015

And while VanZant certainly makes a strong case for forging her own identity in the sport, it is hard to blame fans for saying the former Nike model is replicating the likes of Rousey.

In an interview with mmafighting.com last week, VanZant said she wants to follow in the footsteps of the undefeated fighter.

“Obviously, I want to follow Ronda,” VanZant said.

“She’s done amazing things. She’s had amazing success and it just kind of shows me how far I can take this. And every time I think she’s hit the ceiling, she breaks through again. I would love to obviously follow in her footsteps. I want to continue winning fights before that could ever happen. I need to create a name for myself and maybe I’ll get the opportunities that she’s getting.”

Paige VanZant “Ronda Rousey-like” armbar saw Aussie Alex Chambers tap in seconds.

“She is a very successful person,” VanZant said.

“I have to look at everything she’s doing and take that into account and maybe start following in her footsteps a little bit more if I want to have that sort of success.”

If you are going to choose anyone to model a career in the UFC off, Ronda Rousey isn’t a bad place to start.

And with a current UFC record of 3-0 at just 21 years of age, VanZant looks well on her way to making something of herself in the world’s toughest fighting circuit.

Originally published as Is Paige VanZant the next Ronda Rousey?