From the catwalk to the cage - PHOTO

Paige VanZant, from Sacramento, California, was overjoyed when she won her UFC debut on Saturday, beating competitor Kailin Curran three-to-zero with a third-round TKO.The former cheerleader, who fights in the 115lbs-and-under 'strawweight' class, told FoxSports.com that she originally fell into the sport - but now it has blossomed into a fully fledged passion.'When I started training to fight, it was more out of boredom than anything,' said Paige, who has earned the nickname 12 Gauge in the fighting world.'I was looking for more things to do. I started with boxing, and my coaches told me I had a lot of potential, and that I should consider making it a career. I was like, "Whatever."'I was just 15 at the time, and I never imagined something like that. When I turned 18, they asked if I would take a fight and I said, "Yeah,"' she recalled.'I won it and all of the sudden, there was all this interest and all these opportunities. Her win over the weekend, however - which also earned her Fight of the Night honors and a $50,000 bonus - was undoubtedly a sign of big things to come.'I definitely think I proved myself in this fight that I didn't need to be on The Ultimate Fighter to make a name for myself,' she said in a press statement.'And I'm really excited to fight whoever comes out of The Ultimate Fighter house as soon as possible. There's a lot of girls in that house that I'd match myself up with'. Bakudaily.Az