Paige VanZant obliterates Felice Herrig at UFC on FOX 15

We see it all the time in combat sports, the old guard faces off against the new hotness in a fight that starts another chapter in their division. Earlier tonight in New Jersey, we got to see 30-year-old veteran Felice Herrig take on 21-year-old Paige VanZant in one of those very fights; a pivotal bout that in the end would see the veteran pass that proverbial torch to the younger fighter.

Both girls came out aggressive in a hard-fought first round that started with Herrig looking like she was ready to teach VanZant a lesson on the ground. VanZant was able to fight off a rear-naked-choke and armbar attempt from Herrig. Once she escaped, the girl they call “12 Gauge” never looked back.

The 2nd and 3rd rounds were all VanZant. With a smile popping up on her face while she continued to pour on the punishment, VanZant outstruck and outscrambled Herrig, frustrating her en route to a lopsided unanimous decision (30-27, 30-26, 30-26) victory.

For VanZant, a dominant victory over the #8 ranked Herrig catapults her into the upper echelon of the newest division in the UFC. For Herrig, well, sometimes you just can’t teach an old bulldog new tricks. She showed a ton of heart in this one and proved that she doesn’t give up. That said, she may be another example of a fighter who has done a ton of great for the sport that now finds herself getting further and further away from the beginning and much closer to the end.