UFC flyweight fighter Paige VanZant, speaking to ABC News for an interview that aired on "Good Morning America" on Tuesday, says she was sexually assaulted at a party as a 14-year-old and has had suicidal thoughts since.

The 24-year-old VanZant, promoting her new memoir, "RISE: Surviving the Fight of My Life," told ABC News that she had a tough childhood and was constantly bullied in high school to the point where she ate lunch alone in the bathroom.

"I didn't have anywhere to run to. I didn't have anybody to turn to," said VanZant, who grew up in Dayton, Oregon. "[It was] bad enough that I had to run into the bathroom, and I'd eat my lunch on the toilet ... because I just felt too scared to eat lunch in the cafeteria."

VanZant told ABC News that she only recently spoke to her parents about being sexually assaulted as a high school freshman.

"I felt like I was a smart girl," she said. "My parents raised me well. They raised me to know better and to have some intuition. It all went out the window just because I was so lonely."

"I was in so much pain, I just ... all I could think about was, 'Wow, I have somebody who wants to be my friend,'" she said of the alleged assault. "When I walked in the door of their house, I was like, 'This probably isn't such a good idea.'"

VanZant said that night, and the continual bullying that followed, led her to contemplate ending her own life.

"I didn't see any other way out," VanZant said. "When you're in that position, when you're feeling that much pain, it's not that you want to die. You just don't want to be in pain anymore."

VanZant told ABC News that she hopes her book inspires others who have gone through similar difficult experiences.

"I really hope that if I can change one life, then me telling my story is worth it."

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Moving story about the invisible scars we wear going through life. Paige's tale is a sad one with the sexual assault and bullying she endured.  I hope anyone who feels isolated can find means of strength to overcome the dark thoughts of suicide.  It's something millions of people deal with in different ways and I hope that knowledge helps in someway.

She seems like a genuinely good person, and I'm a fan ( well, I"m a fan of 90%-ish of the UFC roster ), so I've heard her talk about this before. Brutal stuff, and I hope that by bringing it to the forefront, it has helped both her and others. I know it caused her at least some strife as she was attacked/harassed online about the book in the early stages of it's publication.