Paige VanZant shows promise but has long way to go to be 'next Ronda Rousey'

LAS VEGAS -- There was the relentless pace and the unbridled aggression. There was the judo throw we've seen so often. The ending came suddenly, swiftly, with a perfectly executed arm bar. 

Paige VanZant was, indeed, impressive in her victory Saturday over Alex Chambers in their strawweight bout at UFC 191 at the MGM Grand Garden.

Let's slow down, however, on this talk of her as the 'Next Ronda Rousey.' It's not only not accurate, it's not fair. Rousey is the UFC women's bantamweight champion and not only one of the world's greatest active fighters, but also one of the best fighters ever.

VanZant is a 21-year-old rookie who, despite a 3-0 UFC record and a No. 7 divisional ranking, stilll has much to learn and a long way to go before she can ever think of competing with the likes of strawweight champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

Chambers clearly was no match for VanZant. She was breathing heavily early in the first round and was completely gassed by the early stages of the second. She literally had no offense whatsoever on Saturday.

VanZant, much like Rousey, roared out of the corner and attacked. And she fought at a pace that Chambers could not come close to matching. 

VanZant-mania has run wild in the UFC, because she's an attractive young woman with a good personality and an entertaining fighting style. She getting, and deserving, a tremendous amount of hype.

"She has all the attributes of a rockstar, man," UFC president Dana White said. "She's got a great personality. She's absolutely relentless when she's fighting. She moves forward. She puts Mighty Mouse [Demetrious Johnson]-type pressure on fighters. Yesterday, she was the most searched fighter on UFC.com. 

"People love her. All of her sponsors were cageside with their phones out filming her when she walked out. She's got it, man."

There is no doubt that VanZant has the combination of talent, looks and personality that could help her to not only become a champion, but one of the stars of the sport.

But to compare VanZant to Rousey is way, way early. There may never be another fighter like Rousey in the UFC. As Rousey said recently, she'll be missed when she's gone.

VanZant isn't nearly the finished product that Rousey was when Rousey turned pro in 2011 after winning a bronze medal in judo at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

She leaves herself open, but Chambers wasn't good enough to take advantage. VanZant's pace and aggression won her this fight.

"A lot of girls, they're not used to having the pace pushed that way," VanZant said. "That's something I definitley get from my teammates. They push me every second and that's kind of the way I fight."

VanZant is wise beyond her years, and her willingness to learn is what gives her the chance to be special.

She's heard the next Rousey line since before she joined the UFC, but she doesn't seem to be letting it impact her. She's continuing to mature and is evolving as a fighter.

Now, she could become the champion and run off a long string of wins and still not be the next Rousey. Rousey is that special. VanZant gets that.

"It's definitely a compliment for people to say that," she said. "Those are definitley big shoes to fill and I have a long way to go before I can make that comparison. But I hope to follow in her footsteps. She's opened some great doors for us."

VanZant, like Rousey, will help grow the women's side of the game because of her popularity and the fact she'll create more interest in the game.

But she needs to develop. She's a young fighter who will make mistakes. She may even lose before she gets a crack at the title.

She's good, but Rousey's meteoric rise kind of makes it seem like everyone can do that. And the truth is, few who have ever lived can match what Rousey has accomplished.

Let VanZant be herself. With some time, that will be plenty good enough.