Paige VanZant has all the tools to become the next big thing in the mixed martial arts world. She has youth, mass appeal and talent that a lot of people are touting her as the next coming of a superstar in the mould of the Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) reigning bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey. However, the 20-year-old sensation is hoping to blaze her own path and is happily avoiding the comparisons with the reigning queen of the Octagon.

"I have so much respect for Ronda and how talented she is and how great of a fighter she is and what she has done for every woman who wants to be a fighter," VanZant told Yahoo Sports in and interview. "But I don't want to be the next anybody. I want to be the first Paige VanZant."

The straw weight fighter made waves Nov. 2014 when she became the youngest fighter to win a bout in the UFC. Her debut fight against Kailin Curran during UFC Fight Night 157 was so impressive that her third round technical knockout (TKO) win earned "Fight of the Night" honours last Nov. 22. Her performance also fuelled comparisons to Rousey given her raw talent and beauty.

VanZant also disclosed in the same interview how she came to learn mixed martial arts at a young age to protect her when their family moved back to Reno, Nevada and she was enrolled in a school with a not so child-friendly atmosphere. A supposed talent of the television series, "The Ultimate Fighter," but was held out due to her young age, VanZant bared that countless hours in Ken Shamrock's "The Lion's Den" gym prepared her and honed her skills. It is also helpful that his father is also a former wrestler and the fighting blood runs in the family.

After knotting her fourth professional win, the Oregon native immediately got back into the gym to train and prepare for whatever challenges lie ahead. VanZant (4-1, 3-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) aims to avenge to what she terms as a "fluke loss" to TUF standout Tecia Torres who dealt her only professional loss. Watch how VanZant captured the thrilling win in her UFC debut against Curran below:

(Youtube/Shawn Haines)