Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life (2024)

A very different book to what I was expecting. On the surface Paige VanZant's life seem like everything is great. She has the job she loves, with many perks and endorsem*nt. She seems like to be a happy go lucky all American girl. However the scars on her spirit are internal. Despite her battles in the Octogen, her life has been her greatest battleground.

Paige's story is a dark tale, and a testament to her strength of character that she came out the other side but that she has actually survived let alone thrived. Only probably the last quarter of the book is dedicated to MMA, but the story of her struggle carries a very important message to others going through similar situations. If she can inspire others to talk about their situations rather the suffer in silence. I know I was invested in the book as I could feel my blood boil at the thought of a victim being made out as the villain. I did have one question of the book, at the beginning Paige mentions a brother but, he seems to be no support whatsoever and stop seem to disappear completely, or us just not mentioned at all on the book.

A very good book. Not what I expected, till I read the intro. I am a big believer in the positive mental effects of martial arts and am very glad she found this to be the case and a lifeline. It does scary me that things like this can actually happen, such bullying and abuse can go on, unnoticed, unchallenged and unpunished. I really hope someone reads this and us inspired to be themselves and not suffer alone.

I was floored by this book! Thank you Paige for sharing your story! Highly recommended for any Paige or MMA fan.

This book is better each time I read it. I wanted to reread it since Vanzant is now in the wrestling world, where I wrote a while back on my blog page that she has the skills to be a star in wrestling if she chooses.
Many who have read this book have stated how honest and powerful the writing and her story is for young girls and women, but this tale can also be for males as well. Paige's story is full of conquering numerous setbacks and winning them, along with struggles with dealing with people who are not for you (although they seem to be at the time), and the grit and determination of striving to be a better person, including forgiveness, and making dreams come true, which is really what the American Dream is, not just financial gains, right?
As big as a fan I am of VanZant's, I will state that the language is strong at times, and I strive to give honesty here, but she deals with serious subjects here, and her honesty on them works here with the language. Nonetheless, this writing was as enjoyable and inspiring as it was the first time I read it when the book was released. Rereading Rise made me a bigger fan of Paige VanZant, giving me more respect for how far she has come, along with giving me my motivation in dealing with life struggles.
For an in depth review, visit my blog at : https://lancewrites.wordpress.com/202...

The original reader for this, actually, was my daughter. However, knowing that there are some heavy topics, I wanted to be able to have a conversation about that with her, should any questions/comments/concerns come up. And then - I just really enjoyed the book.

It's a pretty quick read, and an interesting look at the potential ramifications of childhood bullying, the strength one can find even when one believes there isn't any to be found, and the long-term issues that can surface from sexual assault - even in the future. There's a lot going on here, but it's written in a way that doesn't feel too heavy, even in the middle of it. There are triggers, though I was pleased to see that the description of the actual assault is not hardcore. This is speaking of one who has also been assaulted, so was a bit leery of reading that part.

Overall, this is a story of a young girl who finds her passion, even when she herself felt lost, alone, and afraid. She gives herself strength, and learns how to rise from the ashes.

It is her own story and there is value in telling it. While this book will give some clear motivation to overcome and "rise" through their own adversity, I couldn't help feeling she missed the point by not following through and prosecuting her assailants. It's one thing to inspire females to fight, but it is entirely another to inspire them to be brave enough to fight injustice in the world.

First saw her at a UFC weigh in where she had a dance off with a competitor. Thought it was a bit odd to see a fighter so cheerful and have since been following her fights. Finally got a chance to read her book which was a fairly short short, granted she was about 23 when this would have been written so its understandable.

It goes through her happy childhood, the life changing event in her teens and her trying to cope through those years to her turning towards a fighting career, which started really late compared to other fighters.

It's a good book, it fills in gaps that you don't see in her interviews. While she did go through a harrowing experience this is simply a review of the book. Just hoped her later years, particularly the fighting would have been more detailed being that it was the most recent events.

A great source of inspiration for anyone who faced or is facing challenges in life. Paige is an example of someone who was able to overcome really horrible events in her life by sheer will, determination and persistence. She shows on her own example that it doesn't matter what happened and how bad was it. You can still decide to get up, dust yourself off and change. It is truth that Paige is very young and her career is still is in its infancy. However, she already proved how strong-willed, determined persistent she is. By talking honestly about her life and her story, she already showed that she has not only the potential to achieve something, but also the thirst to fulfill that potential. I think that Paige is definitely worth watching and that she will definitely achieve something worth talking about. Well, she already did.

This book is a must-read for anyone who faced or is facing challenges in life. It will give you inspiration, enthusiasm and hope. It will show you that you can overcome anything, if you decide to be strong and not let the events break you.

This is an autobiography/memoir of Paige VanZant. I didn't know who she was and I'm definitely not a fan of her sport, but I liked this book. She had a story to tell. It was heart-breaking, but she managed to triumph as she healed from her trauma. She made a few bad judgement calls which seemed to compound her current problems and trials of high school. I liked that she owned them though. She didn't blame others. This had a positive vibe. I liked that she found something that helped her to process her past and how she was strengthened. So 4 stars.

Honest, brutal, triggering, uplifting

I don't usually do reviews but this book to me, deserves one. It was heart breaking, uplifting, and raw. Paige is a girl who is blessed to see the world the way she does. She is a fighter, in more ways then one. What a page turner for me.

Rise by Paige Vanzant

Followed Paige through her MMA history and waited so long to get hold of her new book. By the end of the book I am lost for words on the disturbing events this woman has been through and the brave smile she puts on every time she steps into the ring.

What I’ve learnt is no matter how low you find yourself in life not everything is lost. Picking yourself back up and making something of yourself again.. All the respect in the world for this woman and taking us along in her incredible journey.

I’m hoping for a follow up book someday.

Excellent book. 5/5

Amazing, inspirational story of resilience, faith, and overcoming incredible hardship!

While the pure facts of this book are disturbing, it’s also uplifting and inspiring. The book (and her life) has a lot of shocking twists. Her choice to live above her struggles is amazing.

Powerful MustRead.

Told in stark plain language, Rise is a powerful tale about confronting powerlessness to stand in your own truth. It’s a tale about the destruction of childhood innocence through gang rape, slu*t-shaming and uncontrolled school bullying. It addresses PTSD and recovery. What it isn’t is a casual stroll through positive memories. It promotes insight into suicidal and homicidal ideation, and insight into the erroneous choice of a controlling and violent partner out of a warped impression that the relationship offered protection and safety from a hostile environment.

A story about life and how it can be sometimes brutal! But the moral of the story is never give up! A good story about survival and what can happen if you work on self improvement and follow your dreams.

Great read.

This is an excellent memoir, honest, concise and very well written. The author is now a famous mixed martial star in the UFC's women's straw weight division. Her story of being a high school student subjected to assault and bullying for years is not easy to read, even though it's written as all such stories should be, with the emphasis on the victim and what she had to endure, not on the offenders or the activities of the police. She emphasizes the importance of anyone witnessing or suspecting abuse or bullying to take a stand with the victim, provide protection, report the problem and keep reporting it until something is done to stop the mistreatment.

VanSant writes: "I wish more adults in my life had been more decisive about helping me when I was in the throes of my most painful moments. When I think back on my life, I wonder whether my first cheerleader coach, or anyone else, could have done anything to change things. What if my coach had intervened? What if she had called my mom? What if she had called the principal? What if, when my mom saw what was happening, she had felt supported and empowered enough to call the coach? What if one grown-up - any grown-up - had noticed what was going on and stepped in and said anything at all? When we witness someone else's pain, it's our job to stand up, to speak up, and to be advocates for one another. Everyone's pain is real" (page 220).

If VanSant's career as a fighter ever fizzles, based on this book, I think she could always be a writer.

It’s not everyday that I read an entire book in one sitting and am so inspired that I wish there was more, but today that happened. I’m not even a UFC or MMA enthusiast, but Paige VanZant is my new hero!

W.O.W. The thought that kept running through my mind the entire time I was reading, “Rise,” by Paige VanZant. The book was so wonderful and terrible all at once that I couldn’t put it down. I finished it in one day. There’s nothing more powerful than a story of overcoming our worst fears/enemies/flashbacks/setbacks. Reading through Ms. VanZant’s story will bring you to tears frequently.
Everyone goes through trials and tribulations during their lives; but some to more of an extent than others. The things that this young girl endured and still managed to come out on top after all was said and done is nothing short of astounding. I found myself both rooting for her and wanting to knock in several peoples’ teeth (or worse) as I was reading along! Definitely yanked on my heartstrings on more than one occasion to boot!
The fact that there are children out there, OUR CHILDREN, who think that it is acceptable to treat another human being the way that they treated her is despicable. The people involved in the story are undoubtedly ashamed of themselves (and if they aren’t – well….) – most probably married with families, and young children. One can only hope that their children aren’t made in the image of their parents. It’s a wonder that Ms. VanZant didn’t and/or doesn’t go after them – I don’t think I could be that strong!!
All the hard stuff aside though, this young woman is an amazing mix of complicated human emotion, raw feelings, shattered expectations of life; and the ability to rise above it all and come out a champion. Which she has accomplished time and again since beginning her love affair with MMA fighting. She’s a true champion, who had to believe in herself when it was all said and done – and had the family support behind her to thrust her into the spotlight and help her attain her dreams throughout her entire life.
I enjoy following Ms. VanZant and her new(ish) hubby on InstaGram – she’s an amazing athlete, wonderful power chick, and keeps it all together, while also being like an open book for her fans. You either love her or you don’t. I, personally, love her and look forward to her next match in the ring. Or turn on Dancing with the Stars – whichever comes first.

I spend so much of my time reading books that I ignore much of life going on around me and society at large.

This is a book that really reflects its time (compared to my reading on early Modern philosophy or some bit of medieval logic). The testimony (exceptionally disturbing) of Vanzant's assault, and her entry into the MMA world is something that should communicate something about the Zeitgeist of this decade and the post-2017 #metoo movement that went around originally in entertainment and then society wider.

Vanzant isn't defined by what happened to her, but she defines herself by her ability to Rise (the title of the book). Vanzant faced adversity as a teen, in a facebook and revenge p*rn era, a fair bit later than my day when those things didn't exist and caused concern. Vanzant had forays into reality TV and has an interesting take on being a girly girl and a tough as nails fighter.

There's one thing I really took home from this book - which was her description of how she lost certain fights. Vanzant wasn't hungry enough in one instance and was too predictable in another. The essence of a good fighter in this era of professional MMA is not to perform in the way that was previously televised, one has to change it up in order to challenge expectation and face things very quickly. That's a lesson for the octagon as well as the corner office.

I should say one thing. I should have started with this. This might put people off. This book ultimately is a Christian testimony/biography. This threw me off when I realised it. In a way that's sort of the twist of the book. Paige doesn't go into it as much as say, Dave Mustaine in his autobiography, but a large amount of the source of Vanzant's approach to life and challenges comes from her Christian instruction.

The thing that threw me off about this is that this largely falls into a certain kind of genre of biography which has been coming out these days.

This book does make me want to keep an eye on the straw-weight division of the UFC.

A quick but excellent read. VanZant details her own struggles as a survivor or rape and relationship violence and tells us about her success in the realms of MMA and the entertainment world. VanZant tells her story in an engaging way which is approachable even for those not familiar with MMA. I have not followed the sport closely, but I enjoyed "Fighting in the Age of loneliness" a fantastic youtube documentary by Jon Bois and Felix Biederman about fighting sports as they reflect on our era of late capitalism.

This biography can certainly be read from a Freudian or Leftist criticque. Paige's father worked long hours to support the family, and a desire for male attention and acceptance defined Paige's "tomboy" persona throughout her career. As she discusses her trauma, she learns not to blame this part of herself for the wrong actions of others, and she focuses on MMA as an outlet rather than an identity. Throughout the book, there is a theme of others "underestimating" or "misjudging" her, in terms of fighting ability but also in terms of either being too feminine or not feminine enough.

I surmise the intended audience for this book is young female female athletes (of which I am none), and for this audience VanZant lacks a certain self-awareness about disordered eating and the need to "Make weight" at 125# for Flyweight (which was comparatively easy for her) and 115# for Strawweight (which she fully admits endangered her health).

I think this book is even more important as a read for young men, to avoid the violence, predatory and controlling behaviors that traumatized Paige VanZant in the first place.

I saw this book in a store and didn't buy it. I vowed to buy it if I returned to that store. I DID buy it and am so glad! This book has been an inspiration to me. It shows so many things. We have no idea the personal struggles people are going through or have gone through. Bullying is a real problem not being addressed and stopped. Grit and resilience is important. Find your purpose, the thing that means the most to you and do it!

Paige Vanzant is a professional MMA fighter who has been fighting her demons since she was in high school. Her lifelong friends abandoned her after she made the varsity cheer leading team, was bullied by her teammates, and had no friends, spending many lunch hours in a bathroom stall crying from loneliness. Feeling isolated, she accepted friendships from 4 male students. One fateful Halloween day when she was 14, they invited her to hang out at one of their houses. There, they drugged her and took turns raping her. Years of denial and actions of self-destruction ensued.

Paige's message is an inspiration that we can overcome. And as she puts it, "hope dies last."

I loved the quote on page 196 which she say after she lost a UFC fight: " Failure defeats losers but inspires winners. I'll be back. That's a promise." When taken down, there is always a way to get back up. Rise!

Before reading this book, I had never heard of Paige VanZant due to the fact that I know nothing about MMA or the UFC. However, after seeing a TikTok talking about how empowering this book is, I knew I had to read it.

I will be honest, the style of writing was a little off from what I enjoy, but the content of the book made up for it completely. The book follows the life of Paige VanZant who is a UFC fighter that has overcome a lot of trauma leading up to her debut. Paige was gang-raped and bullied as a freshman in high school which sent her into a spiraling depression she is constantly battling. While this book covers hard-to-talk-about topics, Paige does an amazing job of showing that there is light in the darkness. She talks about how she is constantly overcoming her trauma and self-doubt through opening up to others and using an outlet (professional fighting) to help cope.

This book is truly inspiring to all readers and proves that even in the darkest and lowest points of your life, you can find ways to fight for yourself and your livelihood. I admire Paige for conquering all of the hardships that she faced growing up, which is why I highly recommend this book. Even if you might not relate to the trauma that Paige faced, you can still learn from the ways she coped and how she gets mentally and physically stronger from the difficulties.

Inspiring, brave, survivor, resilient, and badass are just a few words to describe this woman. To have gone through so much and be able to speak about it. Using her celebrity platform to give other women a voice is something that should inspire others. I know other celebrities have spoken out on similar subjects but everyone's story is different. I think I am putting this in my top 10 memoirs/biographies. Right with Matthew Perry's memoir and the Biography about Alex Trebek I read a while back. There may be trigger warnings for any survivors of sexual abü$ë or that were in bad relationships involving that both sexually and emotionally. Nothing graphic, but may trigger some PTS.

***Spoilers Past here if you don't know who she is***

She speaks on her struggles in her teens and then moves through how MMA helped her. And her career with UFC and she also was on Dancing With The Stars with Marc Ballas as her partner, and was runner up that season. She speaks on depression and $ûíçîḍë and underage drinking. She also talks about relationship red flags that she didn't see while she was in it. I cried a few times.

Definitely a must read in the memoir category.

10/10 would recommend

I came in with some background knowledge on Paige through her rise and fall in the UFC and her time on Dancing with the Stars. This autobiography does a fine job in filling the gaps of her life leading up to that.

The majority of this book hones in on the pivotal events of Paige’s young life. It touches on her struggles with abuse, relationships, money, and alcohol. Long story short, Paige had a tough childhood prior to her quick rise in the UFC.

The latter portion focuses on her martial arts career as well as her other endeavors. This section is very thin and I would’ve liked to see it go into more detail about her mindset going into each MMA fight or her time on DWTS or Chopped.

It seemed like this book focused so heavily in the beginning and did a rush job to finish. Still, a decent read.

***WARNING: SPOILERS AND SENSITIVE CONTENT***

This book was good, the writing wasn't by any means amazing, she's a fighter not a writer. But she writes in a way that it feels like she's talking to you. So the book reads more like a conversation. It's an easy read in that regard. However when it comes to the content, Paige did not have an easy life. She opens up about her struggle in a very raw way. She was gang raped at 14 years old. She was bullied relentlessly. She fell into a deep depression and attempted to kill herself. She dealt with an abusive relationship and some other horrors. But through it all, she found MMA and she rose above the trauma. If sexual abuse triggers you, do no read this. If you can make it through her description of that night, read on. She has an inspirational story and leaves readers with a lot of positive messages.

Surviving the fight of her life... WOW. This was a powerful story about a girl who was bullied and tragically assaulted. I was so angered by how she was mistreated and what seemed like a lack of support from the adults/authorities. Seriously, how could no one see what she was going through at school??? I would love to know what happened to those who abused her in high school. (Karma is definitely coming for those peeps.) Paige used her love of athletics (dance, cheerleading and soon boxing/MMA) as a way to cope with her past. I admire her for never giving up. I admire her for gaining the courage to stand up for herself and to let go of that pain that was like an albatross around her neck. With the help of her faith and inner warrior, Paige turned into a badass woman who ended up living out her dream. "Be Exactly Who You Are"----words to live by...

Wow! The bravery it took to write her story, let alone pull herself out of the mire, is just incredible! I've never been into the whole fighting/wrestling thing but I love reading about women who have experience the unthinkable and have come out on top. Who have worked so hard to heal after such terrible abuse and have become stronger women because of it. I love hearing these stories because it means other young women who are experiencing the same can look to these women and know that it does get better. It's not easy but you can move past whatever you are dealing with. Thank you, Paige, for sharing your story. It is truly inspiring and gives me hope to push through the abuse that I have endured at the hands of others.

I have been a fan of Paige’s since DWTS. I’m not normally a reader of non fiction but I was drawn to this book and Paige. I’m so glad I read. It was one of the most emotional journeys I have ever seen. What an inspiration to women and girls everywhere. The mom in me wants to hug her. The woman in me wants to go kick some ass! Going to have my 17 year old daughter read this too. There’s always going to be nastiness in the world. It’s how you overcome these challenges and “Rise”. I’m so glad she didn’t let the demons win. This story made me feel hope, love and pride for her. Nothing but love for you, Paige. I hope God continues to bless her on her life journey and she continues to kick ass everywhere she goes. She deserves it. I’ll be a fan for life. ❤️

“When we finally do become eliminated, it’s against Nyle DiMarco, the hearing impaired model, who performs a haunting duo performance to a particularly moody cover of Simon and Garfunkel’s “Sound of Silence”. There’s no getting around the power of that moment, the emotional heaviness of a deaf man actually moving (impeccably!) to music he can’t even hear, and to a song with a title so eerily relevant. Talk about meta.”
—- p. 204, hardcover

Pretty good beginning of the book on her life and then it become little stale and rushed to the ending of her point. Would give it 4 stars if it didn’t become stale at the end.