UFC strawweight Paige VanZant on cusp of superstardom ahead of UFC 191

There won’t be any more family game nights at the VanZant household.

It’s not that the superstar of the family, UFC strawweight Paige VanZant, isn’t around anymore. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Despite being one of the most popular fighters in her division, the 21-year-old still makes it a point to spend ‘almost every weekend’ with her parents.

But as much as she loves her family, that doesn’t stop Paige from flying off the rails when bragging rites are on the line.

“I’m a naturally competitive, aggressive person,” VanZant admitted to Yahoo Sports. “We used to have family game nights, and if I lost, I would get violent and punch my brother, and I would throw the board in people’s faces…”

Yikes.

“Yeah, so we canceled family game night.”

It might all seem a little extreme, getting that worked up over a harmless board game.

But then again, when you’re a professional fighter, what’s extreme?

Plus, it’s not like Paige is still that way. She is reformed. She has matured. She is wiser.

“I have grown out of that, kind of. Now, I’m just really good at cheating.”

That same competitive streak has driven VanZant from a bubbly cheerleader/ring card girl to a rising star in the UFC.

Growing up in rural Oregon, VanZant was by all accounts a tomboy. She fished, she hunted, she rode dirt bikes, and she shot guns – hence the nickname “12 Gauge.” VanZant credits her upbringing (along with her nasty competitive streak) for leading her down the path to professional fighter.

She can’t exactly explain to you where her mean streak comes from, though, or why exactly she chose to become a fighter. But she can share a story that kind of puts her childhood into perspective.

“I remember one time I crashed my dirt bike and I started crying,” she recalled. “My dad picked me up and said, 'There’s no crying in dirt bike riding.' So, I just sucked it up.”

That suck-it-up mentality has served VanZant incredibly well in her young MMA career.

VanZant has just two fights in the UFC, and despite that, she is arguably already the strawweight division’s most popular fighter. She debuted in Nov. 22, 2014, on a UFC Fight Night card against Kailin Curran. It was a hard-fought debut scrap that tested the newcomer. VanZant would inevitably win via rousing third-round stoppage, when she hip-tossed Curran and delivered a series of uncontested blows from a postured position.

Not only did she win her first UFC fight, but VanZant also took home a hefty $50,000 bonus for Fight of the Night.

Her next fight was on April 18 against Ultimate Fighter contestant Felice Herrig. And although she was unable to finish Herrig, “12 Gauge” was still able to secure a unanimous decision victory.

This Saturday, VanZant meets another TUF alumnus, Alex Chambers, at UFC 191 in Las Vegas.

The fight will be VanZant’s third for the UFC and it comes at a time when her stock has never been higher. In fact, heading into the fight with Chambers, it almost feels like a ‘showcase’ fight, of sorts. Because after being a near even betting favorite in her two prior UFC outings, VanZant is almost a 15-to-1 favorite to beat Chambers.

“I definitely plan on winning this fight,” she said, “but I don’t think people are looking at Alex as talented as she is. I think people look at the rankings and they automatically draw the conclusion that she’s unworthy because she isn’t ranked. And those people aren’t really that informed about the sport – especially women’s MMA. The division hasn’t been around long enough for accurate rankings.”

So, what does VanZant think about her official UFC ranking, despite just two fights?

“I love my spot right now,” said the No. 7-ranked strawweight. “It gives me plenty of room to improve. Obviously, I don’t think I’m No. 1 yet, but I’m going to show the world that I can make my way there.”

VanZant has been showing her fans a lot these days. Whether it's her outstanding fights inside the UFC cage, or her interviews and social media savvy outside the cage, “PVZ” is making a name for herself.

And if the success of another female UFC superstar is any indication, there will be plenty of added attention in the coming years.

Despite her age, VanZant speaks like she has it all figured out. She knows that she will have her critics. She knows that people will label her just another pretty face. She knows that with winning comes even more attention and obligations.

And truth be told, she wouldn’t want it any other way.

“I want to say I’m preparing myself, but I think I’m already prepared,” she said when asked about her inevitable rise to superstardom and the pitfalls that could lay ahead. “I love every second of this. The media attention, the times I actually get to dress up and be a girl is huge for me. I’m a girly-girl; I like wearing make-up and wearing heels. It gives me a break from being in the gym, surrounded by 100 sweaty dudes.”

As long as VanZant keeps on winning, the opportunities to shine will be ample.

Currently, VanZant is one of the company’s youngest employees. In two more years, she will be 23 – the same age that former UFC light heavyweight champion Jon “Bones” Jones was when he won his first title.

At 23, Jones became the UFC’s youngest-ever titleholder at UFC 128 when he TKO’d Pride FC legend Mauricio “Shogun” Rua. The honor of becoming the UFC’s youngest champ is something that VanZant is admittedly trying to take away from Jones.

However, she’s in no rush. Remember, VanZant still has two years before she’s the age Jones was.

For right now, it’s all about improving as a fighter.

“Yeah, obviously it’s a goal,” she said about becoming the UFC’s youngest champion. “But I’m not gonna take a title shot before I’m ready. If I’m gonna take a fight, I’m gonna win that fight. I have two years to be the youngest titleholder, so I’m going to continue to improve and continue to win – and when that title shot comes, I’ll be ready."

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Ryan McKinnell is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports Cagewriter blog. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!