Paige VanZant vs Rachael Ostovich is back on for UFC Fight Night in Brooklyn on January 19. It was believed that Ostovich would be unable to compete after reportedly suffering a broken orbital bone earlier this month at the hands of her husband, but she has since sought a second opinon, according to ESPN's Brett Okamoto.
VanZant posted the following on twitter: "FIGHT STILL ON!!!!! I couldn’t be more great full to @rachaelostovich Yes we are going to war with each other in the cage, but I stand by her side with her ongoing battle at home. Let’s put on a fight and show these people how strong we are. #GirlPower #UFC."
The highly anticipated January 19 card will mark the UFC’s debut on ESPN+.
According to TMZ Sports, Ostovich was hospitalized last weekend with serious injuries, including a broken orbital bone. Ostovich's husband, MMA fighter Arnold Berdon, was later arrested on attempted murder charges.
Hawaii News Now reported that Ostovich described how Berdon punched her repeatedly on the head, face, and ribs during the attack which left her gasping for breath. Also in the temporary restraining order, obtained by Hawaii News Now, Ostovich wrote how she had to escape through the balcony and that she coughed up blood and vomited several times.
Despite all of that, she never wanted to pull out of the VanZant fight which is the biggest bout of her career. According to MMA site Bloody Elbow, Ostovich is currently 1-1 in the UFC, and 4-4 overall. VanZant, 24, has not fought since she broke her arm in a loss to Jessica Rose-Clark last January.