For a not-insignificant portion of the population, the world’s most famous MMA fighter is Paige VanZant.
You might remember Paige. In 2016, as an active fighter in the UFC, she turned heads with a second-place showing on ABC’s runaway hit Dancing With the Stars. For a brief but undeniable window there, she was damn near America’s sweetheart.
After her star turn, she eventually returned to the UFC. But she never really regained her mojo there, losing two of three before washing out of the promotion.
Don’t cry too hard for VanZant. She had options, not the least of which was her ability to pitch products to her 3-plus million Instagram followers.