Zac Pauga’s career in the National Football League was not particularly fruitful; he was only able to make it to the practice squad with the Houston Texans.
Pauga finally made the transition to mixed martial arts (MMA), beginning his career in the sport as an amateur in 2019 before moving up to the professional ranks in 2020.1
When he made his debut in the UFC one year ago, ‘The Ripper’ was a promising fighter with a perfect record of 5-0.
His opponent was Mohammed Usman, the heavyweight brother of Kamaru Usman. Pauga suffered his first defeat of his professional career as he was knocked out cold by Usman only a little over a minute into the fight.
Table of Contents
Zac Pauga: Who Is He? His Biography
Zachary Taala Pauga is a Samoan-American mixed martial artist who competes under the name Zac Pauga on the professional circuit.2
He is also a father of two children. His ring moniker is “The Reaper,” and he fights out of Lakewood, which is located in the state of Colorado in the United States.
Zac Pauga has two siblings: an older brother named Justin Pauga and an older sister named Tea-Kenji Pauga-Lanciaux.
He was born in Denver, Colorado to parents Tolouli Pauga and Kara Pauga. Tolouli was born and raised in Samoa.
At the moment, Zac is under contract with the Ultimate Fighting Championship, which has its headquarters in Las Vegas, Nevada, in the United States of America, and he trains at Elevation Fight Team in Aurora, Colorado. He participates in the heavyweight division despite his height of 6 feet and 2 inches.
Zac played in the sports of wrestling, rugby, and football in addition to working as a police officer in Colorado before he began his career as a professional mixed martial arts fighter.
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Zac Pauga: Early Career
- Pauga began his training in jiu-jitsu and muay thai shortly after he was sworn in as a police officer.
- Elevation Fight Team spotted him when he was practicing martial arts for fun, and they invited him to join their team.
- While he was a part of the team, he began training alongside Elevation Fight Team members Curtis Blaydes and Alistair Overeem, and he even won a fight against Curtis Blaydes.
- Pauga still had the desire to continue his training, despite the fact that he was routinely beaten up during such sessions. He even started engaging in actual fights.
- It was decided that he would compete in season 30 of The Ultimate Fighter, which would be the first season to feature male heavyweights competing for a position in the UFC. He had a record of 5-0 as a light-heavyweight, and the competition would be for a spot in the UFC.
- Pauga believed that he would ultimately get signed, but he didn’t want to accept too many more fights in the regional circuit.
- He saw The Ultimate Fighter as his opportunity to move his career forward a little bit. After all, acceleration and speed are a significant part of his game. In his professional life as well as in the ring.
- Pauga, on the other hand, wants everyone in the house to be aware that he has no intention of causing any trouble there.
- He is also not concerned with being confined to the house, as some of the previous warriors have been, but rather wishes to take the time to broaden the scope of his game.
Zac Pauga: UFC Career
On August 6, 2022, at UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Hill, Zac Pauga competed against Mohammed Usman for the first time in the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Pauga was knocked out in the second round with a technical knockout loss.
On February 18, 2023, Pauga is slated to compete against Jordan Wright at UFC Fight Night: Andrade vs. Blanchfield. The event will take place in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Zac Pauga: Social Media
On Instagram, you may find Zac Pauga under the moniker “zacpauga,” which indicates that his account is unverified.
According to what is said in his Instagram bio, he is a professional athlete in three different sports: MMA, NFL, and Rugby. Now, he competes in the light heavyweight division for the unbeaten Elevation fight team.
The world’s greatest fighter has posted a picture of his family to his Instagram account. These feelings of adoration and enthusiasm for all three games are comparable.
Those who are interested in learning more about him on a personal and professional level can do so by following him on IG.
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Zac Pauga: Married Life And Family
Zac Pauga is a happily married man who is accompanied by his stunning wife, Jess Pauga. They demonstrated their commitment to one another as well as their love for one another by exchanging wedding vows on March 28, 2014.3
On March 28, 2021, he posted a picture to Instagram with a moving comment to commemorate the seven years of marriage and 18 years of relationship that he has shared with his wife.
As all was going on, he also demonstrated his love for his wife by posting a picture of themselves together on Instagram that was taken during their eight years of marriage. Jess, the couple’s wife, has her own Instagram account, which currently has 651 posts, 442 followers, and 65 posts.
Zac is extremely attached to his wife and children, and he has frequently shown them and other members of the family images that he has taken.
He has a son and a daughter, whose names will not be disclosed, and he is a proud father of both of his children.
Despite this, Zac hasn’t shared a lot of information regarding the specifics of his wedding.
Zac Pauga: Net Worth 2023
A UFC fighter by the name of Zac Pauga, who just made the switch from the Houston Texans to the LFA, is rumored to be worth at least three million dollars.
The specific amount of his salary has not yet been disclosed to the general public on any of the official sporting activities websites.
On October 18, 2021, Pauga, who was born and raised in Dever, went head to head with Markus Perez. He is excited about the development of PRO Rugby and chose to play with the Colorado Stampede.
According to an earlier report from MMA-Prospects, he has joined the Wheat Ridge Police Division. I’m sorry to say, but he just wasn’t cut out for a career in any field other than athletics.
Zac Pauga: Parents And Childhood
In reality, Zac is 34 years old at this point in time. On February 25, 1988, in the city of Denver, Colorado, his parents enthusiastically welcomed him into the world.
Even though Zachary Taala Pauga is his real name, he goes by the title The Ripper in public.
The mixed martial arts champion described rugby as his favorite sport and discussed his enthusiasm for the game in one of the many interviews he gave.
He said that his father raised him playing rugby and that he acknowledged himself as Samoan. He was born and raised in Samoa.
Zac Pauga, a former player in the National Football League, spent four years at Colorado State playing tight end and fullback. During that time, he hauled in 88 passes, ran for 743 yards, and scored four touchdowns. The sports media, on the other hand, has extensively covered his professional career and accomplishments.
In addition to that, he was a member of the practice squad for the Houston Texans. He is undefeated in five professional fights, including victories over Jordan Heideman and Nyle Bartling within the Final Fighter house.
He has won five professional fights in a row without suffering a loss. Pauga believes that being a part of the TUF environment and competing against the other contestants on the show has assisted him in better comprehending the quality of his abilities and training.
Jordan Wright vs Zac Pauga Betting preview
Jordan Wright shifts the scales in the direction of the positive in the hopes of breaking his losing run, but what he actually needs is to improve his defensive awareness.4
After going undefeated on the regional circuit for nine fights and winning his debut fight in the UFC, Wright has gone 2-4 in his last six fights, getting battered in both victories and defeats along the way.
Wright is the very definition of a loose cannon, despite the fact that he has demonstrated a great deal of stopping power and ferocity in both his strikes and his ground game.
If his adversaries aren’t prepared for an early bombardment, “The Beverly Hills Ninja” can be extremely lethal for them. Wright lands 5.67 significant strikes per minute with 65% accuracy, and lands 3.60 takedowns every 15 minutes at 50% accuracy.
His fights only last an average of 2 minutes and 58 seconds each, and he has finished every one of his opponents. He has seven knockout victories and five submission victories.
Zac Pauga competed against heavier opponents during his time on Dana White’s Contender Series as a light heavyweight, so he is crossing his fingers that moving down to the heavyweight division would result in a victory.
After starting his career with an unblemished record of 11-0, Wright has struggled recently, going 1-4 in his last five starts and is looking for anything that might turn things around.
Pauga demonstrated a great deal of skill and heart, but owing to his lack of size, he was unable to keep going for a sufficient amount of time.
The former running back for Colorado State University was defeated by Mohammed Usman in August of last year, and since then, he has come to the conclusion that there is no better time than the present to fight someone his own size.
He possesses the kind of natural athleticism and conditioning that one would anticipate from someone with his history. Although he is still a touch green, it is anticipated that he would be more effective at 205 pounds.
It’s possible that “Zac the Ripper” will be relieved to battle someone who is significantly shorter than he is for a change. Pauga is able to land 5.71 significant strikes per minute with an accuracy of 64%, while only taking 2.14 strikes per minute in return.
His prior fights for Cage Warriors and LFA almost all lasted the distance, which is indicative of the fact that he is not often known as a stoppage artist.
In Pauga’s most recent contest, he was defeated by Usman, a natural heavyweight, and as a result, concerns have been raised regarding the strength of his chin.
After the round is over, there won’t be much time for discussion since Wright is going to go straight for him and bet that he can catch him before the other player downs a shot of his own. This fight shouldn’t go on for very long, and who lands the first clean blow could end up being the deciding factor in who wins.
Result: Jordan Wright was defeated by Zac Pauga thanks to a unanimous decision.
Zac Pauga: Records
| RESULT | FIGHTER | EVENT | METHOD | DATE |
| LOSS | Mohammed Usman | UFC on ESPN 40 – Santos vs. Hill | KO (Punch) | Aug / 06 / 2022 |
| WIN | Markus Perez | CW 130 – Cage Warriors 130 | Decision (Unanimous) | Oct / 17 / 2021 |
| WIN | Terrance Jean-Jacques | CW 126 – Cage Warriors 126 | Decision (Unanimous) | Aug / 01 / 2021 |
| WIN | Logan Nail | LFA 105 – Rodriguez vs. Gotsyk | Decision (Unanimous) | Apr / 23 / 2021 |
| WIN | Ashby Thomas | LFA 98 – Fremd vs. Oliveira | TKO (Elbows and Punches) | Jan / 29 / 2021 |
| WIN | Zac Cavender | LFA 87 – Logan vs. Rosales | Decision (Unanimous) | Jul / 31 / 2020 |
FAQs
How tall is Zach Pauga?
Zach Pauga is 6-1 (185 cm) tall.
How much did Zach Pauga weigh when playing?
Zach Pauga weighed 246 lbs (111 kg) when playing.
Is Zach Pauga in the Hall of Fame?
Zach Pauga has not been elected into the Hall of Fame.
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