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When you think of the UFC and its biggest stars, does the name Paige VanZant come to mind? What exactly has she accomplished inside the octagon that has made her deserving of being placed on the pedestal where she resides in the eyes of so many?

VanZant will be a contestant on the next season of 'Dancing with the Stars;' her bio for the show refers to her as a “top ranked contender in the women’s strawweight division,” but that's simply not true. VanZant is a good fighter and may, one day, become worthy of lofty praise, but right now her brand is getting in the way of her athletic career. So much so that it makes you wonder whether VanZant will live up to her hype.

The quick rise of the young strawweight fighter is similar to that of Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor. The most obvious notable difference between VanZant and those two being in-ring accomplishment. Rousey and McGregor were/are champions. At one point, both were undefeated for a long stretch in the UFC. Rousey and McGregor changed the fight game, rising to the top of their respected divisions with exciting fights and jaw-dropping finishes. Each of them reached levels of fame that no one in the UFC had previously obtained. But when you lose at that high a level, in the way each of them did, you crash hard.

Rousey and McGregor are the epitomes of a brand getting in the way of a primary profession. For one moment, one second, one punch, you slip up and your career takes a turn for the worse. Rousey has taken her loss to Holly Holm poorly. She expressed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show that she was having suicidal thoughts in the locker room following the knockout loss. It was the first time in her MMA career that she was truly vulnerable.

Former light heavyweight champion Rashad Evans shared his thoughts on fighters taking the "Hollywood" route to increase their popularity as opposed to focusing on accomplishing what they need to in the octagon.

“She knows that any moment could end her fighting career, so it’s good to have that backup plan. Having the ability to go the ‘Hollywood’ route is smart, but don’t get too ‘Hollywood,’" Evans cautioned. “Don’t let that affect your training like Ronda did.”

Evans doesn’t believe that VanZant has gone full-Hollywood just yet; he thinks she knows her lane and where she stands in her division.

Paige VanZant should probably train more, dance less. (USATSI)
Paige VanZant should probably train more, dance less. (USATSI)

Just recently, McGregor let his fame and bravado affect his career. His head was so high in the clouds he accepted a fight at a significantly higher weight than usual and assumed it would be a walk in the park. He certainly talked his way into being the favorite entering the fight, but Nate Diaz could not be controlled. He didn’t fall for the antics. He embarrassed the once-invincible McGregor, because unlike McGregor, Rousey and VanZant, Diaz puts the fighter first.

Former UFC fighter and current Fox Sports analyst Kenny Florian recently took to Twitter with some thoughts that this trio should read.

UFC is the brand, but the sport is mixed martial arts. Fighting is an art form and should be respected as such. You can train for days, months or even years, but training, like Florian said, isn’t the same as studying. When you study something, anything, you give that subject your undivided attention. When you actually sit down and study the art of Brazillian jiu-jitsu, wrestling or Mauy Thai, it becomes a part of who your being.

If you want to draw a cross-sport similarity, up-and-coming tennis star Anna Kournikova was one of the top names in the sport in the late 1990s. By 2000, she found herself ranked No. 8 in the world without ever winning a singles title. Kournikova modeled, took massive endorsements and spent so much time away from the court that she never came close to being a legitimate contender. VanZant, by the way, is the eighth-ranked strawweight in the world.

Ultimately, she needs to ask herself what she wants out of her UFC career. Does she want to be good, a passing name in the industry, or does she want to be great?

There's been criticism about athletes, particularly active football players, going on 'Dancing with the Stars' in the past, but consider that they were on the show during the NFL's offseason. Training for MMA is year-round. The show will surely be great for the VanZant brand, but it's going to cost VanZant the fighter. You know who's keeping their dancing inside the cage? Strawweight champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk, Claudia Gadelha, Carla Esparza, and the girl who recently destroyed VanZant in the octagon, Rose Namajunas.