Filed under: News , UFC When Monday night’s second episode of Season 22 of “Dancing with the Stars” opened up, it was easy to see something was awry for UFC strawweight Paige VanZant . The show always opens with the introduction of the stars and their pro partners, who get a quick couple seconds of screen time against the backdrop of audience applause and a musical number from the house band. But when it was time for VanZant’s intro, Mark Ballas, her pro partner, was nowhere to be found, leaving “12 Gauge” Paige with a brief shrug of the shoulders and a solo routine for the camera. Ballas wasn’t merely AWOL, though. The longtime “DWTS” standout injured his back during a Sunday on-stage camera-blocking rehearsal for his salsa routine with VanZant. Just a few hours before the show went live, it was determined he couldn’t dance, and that left backup dancer and “DWTS” troupe member Alan Bersten to take Ballas’ place – with just two hours to get the routine down in full before showtime
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