Paige VanZant discusses BKFC19: ‘I didn’t want to live anymore’

Combat sports offer the highest highs, finishing an opponent and hearing the crowd shout your name, a championship belt, a fist of full of dollars, elevating people to a status they had only dreamed about. Then comes the lowest lows; the setbacks, the sting of defeat long after the quiet moments in the back of the venue, the injuries, the bills, the people who love nothing more than to kick someone when they are down.

Paige VanZant experienced the lowest of the lows following her loss Racheal Ostovich at BKFC19. She fought her heart out but ultimately dropped a Unanimous Decision to Rachael. She was an opponent that VanZant had bested in the UFC, her idea was that she would get the finish but sometimes the vision does not line up with reality. After the fight she said some things in the car park to her husband, Bellator fighter Austin Vanderord, which she reflects on here (per MMA Weekly):

“I told him that I didn’t want to live any more, that this wasn’t for me anymore, life wasn’t for me any more. It’s disappointing, it was hard.”

VanZant opened up about the haters. It is no uncharacteristic for MMA fans to make memes following the losses of polarizing figures in the sport. VanZant cannot understand why they chose her though, as she is not a device character:

“I’m bummed out. I mean, I’m bummed out to say the least. Everyone expects me to lose, and everyone expects me to fail.

“I don’t know, I just feel like people have this specific perception of who I am and especially online.

“It’s crazy how much people can hate on a single person.”

“I just don’t get it. I pride myself on being a good person, and I think that’s the most important thing for me.

“I never talk bad about my opponents. I never say a single negative thing about their character.

“You never know what somebody is going through, and you never know what someone is on the verge of.”

It is unclear whether we will see Paige VanZant come back again but if she does where do you think it will be?

Let us know in the comments.