Lost in translation: MMA background hurting Paige VanZant on 'DWTS'
UFC strawweight contender Paige VanZant made her debut on Season 22 of “Dancing with the Stars” and impressed by finishing in a four-way tie for fourth place with a score of 21. Matched with pro dance partner Mark Ballas, VanZant’s foxtrot earned a trio of 7s from the judges and has seen the odds of her winning the contest improve from 10-1 to 2-1.
“I was really nervous,” VanZant told MMA Junkie. “The foxtrot isn’t a dance I was particularly excited about because you’re not allowed to do lifts, you’re not allowed to do certain [other] things. You have to be traditional and be in the frame, with very specific footwork. So we couldn’t be wild and crazy and have a fun routine.”
Next week will find VanZant challenged with the salsa. “We have the salsa, and it’s just an amazing routine so far," VanZant said. "I’m excited to show off the super fun side of things. [Mark] definitely knows I have areas I need to improve on. There are still little things that are hard for me to break, being an MMA fighter.”
Although VanZant is taking an extended hiatus from competing in the Octagon, the Team Alpha Male fighter is staying on top of her training regime and squeezes workouts in during her downtime. Although it can be assumed that her MMA training may assist her in this competition, VanZant said that it doesn’t help much, if at all.
“Not a lot translates over very well,” VanZant said while citing that flexibility and cardio are two small things that help her through practice. "There are a lot of techniques that are completely different [from fighting] – keeping your head up, I’m having a hard time not keeping my shoulders forward. It’s hard to break that fighter’s stance. It’s been a little difficult for me to try to break.”
We’ll see if VanZant can continue to improve when she competes on Monday’s episode.
