Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich Fight Back on for UFC Fight Night
November 27, 2018
Rachael Ostovich will reportedly fight Paige VanZant after all.
According to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, the two mixed martial arts fighters will square off for UFC Fight Night on Jan. 19 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. This comes after TMZ Sports reported Nov. 18 that Ostovich was hospitalized with what was believed to be a broken orbital bone after her husband, MMA fighter Arnold Berdon, allegedly assaulted her in Hawaii, per Hawaii News Now.
Okamoto noted Ostovich sought out a second opinion regarding her injuries because she had no interest in canceling the fight.
Both fighters tweeted Tuesday after the fight was back on, and VanZant expressed her support for Ostovich:
Paige VanZant @paigevanzantFIGHT STILL ON!!!!! I couldn’t be more great full to @rachaelostovich Yes we are going to war with each other in the cage, but I stand by her side with her ongoing battle at home. Let’s put on a fight and show these people how strong we are. #GirlPower #UFC https://t.co/DDfNDV65jt
Okamoto reported that Berdon was charged with second-degree assault and has a court hearing Dec. 18. Ostovich has a restraining order against him.
Ostovich's manager, Brian Butler-Au, spoke about her upcoming bout:
"She never really wanted to be off of this fight. When everything happened, it was very emotional. The injuries were significant enough that, combined with the emotions of everything that was going down, we made a decision to pull out of the fight. Now that things are settling out and the swelling of the injury is going down, Rachael got a second opinion and everything will work out to where she can keep this fight."
This fight represents a breakout opportunity for Ostovich, who is only 1-1 in the UFC and yet to make a significant name for herself on a national stage.
It will also mark a return to action for VanZant, who hasn't fought since a January unanimous-decision loss to Jessica Rose-Clark at UFC Fight Night 124. In that defeat, VanZant suffered a broken arm that required two surgeries after the first one was unsuccessful.