Paige VanZant

I have so many other talents other than fighting, and I would love to be able to show those off. I would like to say, 'Yes, I'm a fighter, and I'm this,' or, 'Yes I'm a fighter, but I'm also this.'

I would love to go do movies; I would love to kind of delve into other things. I did do acting and modeling before, when I was a kid, so it would be nice to use those things.

You can't go into the cage and not love it, and you can't go in there unprepared. You have to prepare.

CrossFit is just another thing I've become passionate about. I like to continue to make gains and compete with myself. There's many ways to do that either with adding weight or competing with my own times or my previous records. It's been nothing but a benefit to me, and I love lifting weights.

Dancing with the Stars' was a really great experience. People were definitely surprised that I'm a fighter, or they couldn't believe I'm a professional fighter, but I feel like I'm going to get that for a while. I'm excited to bring a new demographic over to MMA and the UFC.

In fighting, you're not going 200 mph, but there's obviously danger in the sport. If you're a fighter or a NASCAR driver, you're obviously an adrenaline junkie. Both also take a lot of skill.

I've always been very competitive, and I've always had this desire to win my entire life. I guess when it comes to being in the cage, especially, I just hate losing more than I like to win. The idea of someone beating me just doesn't sit well.

Winning my first UFC fight by a finish, I've never felt so accomplished in my life.

I've always been a bubbly and energetic and happy person, but when I get upset, I get frustrated; when someone makes me mad, I definitely have a temper, and I've had to deal with having a temper my whole life.

For me, I've been known as a very well-rounded fighter, and I think that's really important, that you're well rounded and comfortable in every situation that a fight can go. A lot of people focus on just one discipline, and when they get out of that, they're in a difficult position.

I try to eat healthy for the most part. When I cut weight, I cut pretty much everything out. I don't have protein when I cut weight other than what I might get from something like chicken breast. So I don't eat any extra protein, just because I'm trying to get the weight off. That's the only real diet I have.

After I won my first amateur fight, I figured I would do fighting on the side while I was going to school. I got an offer after that amateur fight to take a professional fight. The opponent kind of wanted to have an easy win for her pro debt, and they said they'd pay me $1,500. I was like, 'Yeah, might as well get paid for what I was doing.'