Biography(references)Her parents owned a dance studio, and she was brought up dancing ballet, jazz, and hip hop for over 13 years. She was considered a tomboy while growing up, and loved the outdoors; her hobbies included riding dirt bikes and fishing. The bullying included mocking her surname Sletten, which students changed to "Slutton". However, she has noted this experience as one of the reasons she likes being a martial artist and having the ability to defend herself.
Combat ApproachWhile standing, she will often move the fight toward the fence and utilize knees, elbows, forearms, punches, and throws. The first fighter to defeat VanZant, Tecia Torres, largely avoided her clinch while attacking with strikes near the center of the cage. She credits her past experiences dancing with her ability to perform flexible and agile movements in her fights; she demonstrated this when she knocked out Bec Rawlings with a jumping switch kick which earned her a "Performance of the Night" bonus.
Fighter Trivia(references)Her father nicknamed her "12 Gauge" because of her love of shooting and hunting. In September 2018, VanZant married Austin Vanderford, a professional MMA fighter and a two-time NAIA All-American and national champion wrestler. The couple began dating the previous year, and Vanderford proposed to VanZant in January 2018.
Awards & Accolades
UFC: Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Kailin Curran
UFC: Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Bec Rawlings
MMAjunkie.com: 2019 January Submission of the Month vs. Rachael Ostovich
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Fight Outcomes - WinsLosses
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