Report: Paige VanZant moves up to flyweight for UFC 216 bout

According to a report from Damon Martin of FloCombat.com, fan favorite UFC strawweight Paige VanZant (7-3) has been booked for a return to the Octagon. This return will occur at UFC 216, this October 6 in Las, Vegas, Nevada – it just won’t occur at strawweight. Instead, it’s expected to occur in the new UFC women’s flyweight division, where VanZant will battle bantamweight staple Jessica Eye (11-6).

VanZant will enter this fight having recently been choked out by the ever-dangerous “Karate Hottie” Michelle Waterson. Prior to this loss, VanZant picked up a 2016 knockout of the year contender, snuffing Bec Rawlings with a jumping switch kick. This win, meanwhile, was preceded by a bloody submission loss to top contender Rose Namajunas.

Eye, meanwhile, is neck deep in a four-fight losing streak at bantamweight. This streak has seen her give up decisions to Miesha Tate, Julianna Pena, Sara McMann, and most recently, Bethe Correia.  This flyweight fight with VanZant, then, is likely a make or break fight for her. Luckily, Eye has long felt that she is best suited for the flyweight division, rather than the bantamweight division, where she is undersized.

UFC 216, which will go down in Las Vegas’ T-Mobile Arena, is slowly coming together. Though no headliner has been made official just yet, our own Chris Taylor has reported that a Stipe Miocic vs. Cain Velasquez heavyweight title fight is in the works for the card.

The card will also feature a lightweight bout between Beneil Dariush and Evan Dunham, another lightweight bout between Nik Lentz and Will Brooks, a third lightweight bout between Abel Trujillo and Lando Vannata, and a middleweight bout between Thales Leites and Brad Tavares. More UFC 216 fights should be be announced in the coming weeks.

How do you think Paige VanZant will do against Jessica Eye, who we can presume to the bigger, stronger woman in the cage?

This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 8/7/2017.