UFC’s Paige VanZant making quite a name for herself

Paige VanZant’s upward spiral has landed her a new six-fight contract extension with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and her first main event.

The 21-year-old VanZant, who shined earlier this month by aggressively bringing the fight to veteran Alex Chambers, submitting her by third-round armbar, will return to the octagon Dec. 10 to kick off the UFC’s frenzied “December to Remember” weekend.

Highlighted by the anticipated Dec. 12 match between featherweight champion Jose Aldo and colorful interim champion Conor McGregor at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, fighting activity opens with VanZant’s women’s strawweight bout against Scotland’s Joanne Calderwood (10-1).

VanZant (6-1) will fight Calderwood at the Cosmopolitan hotel in Las Vegas. Tickets went on sale Friday for the card that will be televised by UFC’s subscription service “Fight Pass.”

The next night, featherweights Frankie Edgar and Chad Mendes will fight there to likely determine the top challenger for the Aldo-McGregor winner.

“It’s exciting to headline my first main event with the UFC and it’s a great opportunity for me,” VanZant said in a telephone interview with The Times. “I’m excited to see the headline, and am excited [about] starting [mixed martial arts] five years ago to headlining the Cosmo now.”

The UFC has been strongly marketing VanZant, the lone female member of Sacramento’s Team Alpha Male that counts Mendes, bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw and current “The Ultimate Fighter” coach Urijah Faber as members.

Faber will also compete that weekend against Frankie Saenz on the undercard of UFC 194.

Signing the extension after moving from No. 9 to No. 6 in the strawweight rankings thrilled VanZant, who also enjoys a full sponsorship deal with Reebok.

VanZant’s development – she forced submission specialist Chambers to tap out in her own game – is moving her closer to a title fight. She cautions that she’s not ready to start considering that date with champion Joanna Jedrzejczyk.

“I’m only focused on beating Joanne Calderwood right now,” VanZant said.

She also kept a safe distance from the controversy connected to the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s five-year suspension last week of veteran fighter Nick Diaz after three positive results for marijuana.

While some fighters have spoken of boycotting Nevada fights as a form of protest, VanZant said she won’t follow.

“It’s unfortunate for [Diaz], but this wasn’t something that the UFC did and I work for the UFC, so I have no issues with that,” she said. “I definitely do not believe marijuana is a performance enhancer.”