Tag: Paige VanZant

Video: Paige VanZant, Elle Brooke face off at MF & DAZN: X Series 15 press conference

The boxing debut for former UFC standout Paige VanZant is two days away, and Thursday she got face-to-face with her opponent.

The boxing debut for former UFC standout [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] is two days away, and Thursday she got face-to-face with her opponent.

VanZant will take on fellow OnlyFans creator [autotag]Elle Brooke[/autotag], the Misfits Boxing women’s middleweight champion, in a title challenge Saturday at MF & DAZN: X Series 15 at NRG Arena in Houston.

The bout will be VanZant’s first fight since a July 2021 loss to Rachael Ostovich. The loss was VanZant’s second in as many BKFC outings. She was booked for a third BKFC fight on two separate occasions in 2022, but withdrew from both.

Over the nearly three years since the Ostovich bout, VanZant has largely focused on her OnlyFans page. She has spoken openly about her income from that far outpacing anything she made while she was in the UFC.

Brooke, 26, took a reverse rout to VanZant. Initially an adult film star and OnlyFans content creator, Brooke decided to enter the world of influencer boxing. She’s 4-1 since her debut in July 2022.

Check out their faceoff (via X) ahead of Friday’s weigh-ins below:

Paige VanZant to fight fellow OnlyFans star Elle Brooke at Misfits Boxing 15

Paige VanZant and Elle Brooke will throw down at Misfits Boxing 15, the promotion announces.

Former UFC star [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] has her gloved boxing debut set against a fellow OnlyFans creator.

VanZant will take on [autotag]Elle Brooke[/autotag], the Misfits Boxing women’s middleweight champion. It’s unclear if the bout will be professional or exhibition, but it’ll headline Misfits 15 on May 25 at NRG Arena in Houston.

The bout initially leaked on a DAZN broadcast during Devin Haney vs. Ryan Garcia fight week, but the promotion officially announced the matchup Friday on social media.

The bout will mark VanZant’s first combat sports competition since a July 2021 loss to Rachael Ostovich. The loss was VanZant’s second in as many BKFC outings. She was booked for a third BKFC on two separate occasions in 2022, but withdrew from both. Over the near-three years since the Ostovich bout, VanZant has largely focused on her OnlyFans page.

Brooke, 26, took a reverse rout to VanZant. Initially an adult film star and OnlyFans content creator, Brooke entered the world of influencer boxing. She’s 4-1 since her debut in July 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/p/C59paI_o5JG/?igsh=bnY5eWU4cGtmb3Vm

Paige VanZant announces competitive return with gloved boxing match near finalization

Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant is closing in on a combat sports return, she revealed.

After nearly three years away from combat sports competition, [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] is near a return.

VanZant, who has not competed since July 2021, has a date, location, and opponent for her next fight. The gloves are coming back on.

“I got called by my manager the day before yesterday and I got offered a fight, a boxing match – and I took it,” VanZant said on “The Kickass Love Story” podcast. “I don’t know if I can give all the details. I haven’t signed the contract yet. … I accepted the fight. It was initially, the date they offered me, was March 23, which was like, ‘Perfect. Hell yeah. I’ll get one more fight in before I turn 30 because I turn 30 (on) March 26.’ I told my manager, I was like, ‘F*ck yeah, I’ll take it. I’ll get back into boxing.’ I was just really excited. The opportunity was really cool, so I was like, ‘Perfect.’ (It was) an eight-week camp, so I won’t have that long to stress or overthink or anything like that. I was like, ‘That’s perfect.’

“It turns out it’s not going to be March 23. After I accepted it, they were like, ‘OK, you know what? We’re actually going to move it to… May or June.’ I heard both dates.”

While VanZant elected to keep the opponent, event, and location under wraps, she did reveal the fight will be gloved. VanZant does not appear to have previous gloved boxing experience at the professional level, but has competed twice in bareknuckle boxing for BKFC.

“I accepted a boxing match. That will be my next fight,” Vanzant said. “It will be really, really exciting for everyone. Gloves on. This is straight boxing. I did think my next fight would be a bareknuckle boxing match, but this opportunity came forward and I was like, ‘Yeah, f*ck it, let’s go.’ So I took a fight. We’re really excited.”

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VanZant, 29, rose to stardom through nine appearances in the UFC from 2014-2020. She departed the promotion after fighting out her contract, then signed with BKFC less than one year later, in 2021.

She lost her BKFC outings each by unanimous, against Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich. VanZant was scheduled to face Charisa Sigala twice in the second half of 2022, but the bookings were canceled due to her withdrawal.

Additionally, Vanzant intermittently appeared and performed in pro wrestling organization AEW from September 2021 to May 2022.

Paige VanZant ‘definitely’ fighting in BKFC again, interested in PFL for potential MMA return

Ex-UFC star Paige VanZant gives an update on her fighting career.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] may be inactive, but not done with fighting.

The former UFC star turned bareknuckle boxer assures that she will step into the ring once again, and maybe return to MMA. VanZant hasn’t been in action since July 2021 when she lost a unanimous decision to Rachael Ostovich in her second BKFC fight. She was scheduled to return at BKFC 27 in August 2022, but the fight was canceled days before the event. The promotion didn’t disclose a reason for the cancellation, but VanZant said that it was out of her control.

Yet, despite the inactivity and her lucrative work through OnlyFans, VanZant does see herself fighting again.

“It’s definitely bareknuckle still,” VanZant told MMA Fighting when asked about a return to fighting. “I don’t know if it’s down the road in six months, down the road in a year, I really just haven’t decided yet. I’m going to leave a lot of that up to my manager and my coaches, and just work on this time to get better, enjoy the training and not worry about signing a fight contract.

“But it’s definitely bareknuckle. I love bareknuckle boxing. I now have gotten 10 rounds in bareknuckle boxing, and I’m searching for that victory. I’m searching for a lot of things in bareknuckle still I feel I haven’t accomplished. It will definitely be with BKFC again.”

VanZant has only had two fights under the BKFC banner. Most of her fame in combat sports came from her years fighting in the UFC from 2014 to 2020. The 29-year-old hasn’t competed in MMA since 2020, her last UFC fight.

The focus is on BKFC for VanZant, but if she were to return to the cage, she would be interested in working with PFL.

“If I were to do MMA again, it would be definitely with the PFL,” VanZant said. “I love how they treat everybody, the organization is incredible. I’ve been loving doing commentary work for them and doing behind the scenes just because I like being on camera. So I’ve been having fun with that, but I do believe as of right now, I mean, just in my mind, if I were to do MMA it would be with the PFL.”

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David Feldman provides positive update on Paige VanZant’s future with BKFC

David Feldman expects Paige VanZant to compete for BKFC for at least one more fight – if not more.

David Feldman expects [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] to compete for BKFC for at least one more fight – if not more.

VanZant entered the ring twice for BKFC, losing to Britain Hart, then fellow UFC alum Rachael Ostovich in July 2021. She was scheduled for a third bout in August 2022 against Charisa Sigala at BKFC 27, but it was canceled.

It’s been years since VanZant last competed, but the BKFC president revealed that her team recently reached out to try and get her a fight booked.

“We just had a conversation with her management team about two weeks ago on it,” Feldman told MMA Junkie. “They said, ‘Just give us a date, but we want at least three months notice because she wants to be in great shape for this one and make sure she can concentrate on her training.’ So there is a very, very good probability that you’re going to see Paige VanZant back with BKFC for at least one more fight.”

In the meantime, VanZant made several appearances on All Elite Wrestling (AEW) from 2021 to 2022. She also claimed that she’s made more money since starting to post content on OnlyFans in 2022 than her entire career combined.

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Paige VanZant: I earned more money on OnlyFans in one day than my entire fighting career combined

Former UFC star Paige VanZant reveals her OnlyFans site made more money in one day than her entire fighting career (including UFC) combined.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]’s competitive fighting career has paused in recent years, but the freeze has apparently proved monetarily beneficial.

According to VanZant, a former UFC star, her entry into the world of OnlyFans content creation has paid more than its dividends. In a recent interview with Barstool Sports, VanZant estimated she made more money in one day on the subscription platform than she did in her entire fighting career – UFC and otherwise – combined.

“I definitely have. I’d say when I made the switch to OnlyFans, there’s a lot of stuff I’ve done in my career and I’ve been really fortunate my career even outside of the UFC and outside of fighting has been pretty successful,” VanZant said. “I’ve worked pretty hard in other industries and trying to cross over to more of a mainstream personality. But yes, OnlyFans has definitely been my largest source of income, I would say combined, in my fighting career. I think I’ve made more money in 24 hours on OnlyFans than I did in my entire fighting career combined.”

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VanZant, now 29, launched an independent subscription site in 2021, before she eventually made the jump to the more universally recognizable platform OnlyFans in 2022. During that time, VanZant competed twice in bareknuckle boxing for BKFC and lost both bouts. Her most recent competition was in July 2021. She was scheduled for a third bout in late 2022, but it was canceled.

When she was actively fighting, VanZant often branched outside of MMA and used her platform to explore other avenues. She was runner-up on “Dancing with the Stars,” Season 22 in 2016 and won an episode of the hit Food Network series “Chopped” in 2017. VanZant also made several appearances on All Elite Wrestling (AEW) from 2021 to 2022.

Despite her openness to maximizing exposure, VanZant admits producing adult content presented its mental hurdles. It’s something over time she came to terms with for monetary reasons, though not necessarily self-centered ones.

“I was nervous about the stigma but now it’s hard to walk away from,” VanZant said. “… But I feel like if you’re one of those people who were born poor and grew up poor and then you become rich, it’s almost like you always just feel poor. You always want to continue to work hard.

“I am lucky I’m in a position where I’ve been able to help my family, My husband and I help our family. We do everything we can to bring everybody up to the table. … For me, it justifies doing exclusive content knowing that I’m helping take care of everybody around me.”

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Paige VanZant out of BKFC 27 on Saturday in London

Paige VanZant’s first fight of 2022 is on hold at the last minute.

(Editor’s note: Story has been updated to include a statement from Paige VanZant.)

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] won’t be returning to the ring this weekend as expected.

The former UFC star is out of her fight against Charisa Sigala at Bare Knuckle FC 27 this Saturday in London. The plan is to rebook the fight for Oct. 15.

MMA Junkie confirmed the news Tuesday following an initial report from My MMA News, and was told the promotion removed VanZant vs. Sigala from the card in order to headline the upcoming October event.

VanZant issued a statement on Twitter, expressing her frustration with the situation:

“THIS IS OUT OF MY CONTROL!!! I WENT AN ENTIRE CAMP AND WEIGHT CUT TO BE PULLED A WEEK OUT!!!!”

“I DID NOT PULL FROM MY FIGHT!!!! I WAS PULLED! I AM PISSED OFF AND HEARTBROKEN! I WORKED MY F*CKING ASS OFF TO BE PULLED A WEEK BEFORE I AM SUPPOSED TO COMPETE!!!!!”

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This bout was supposed to mark VanZant’s first fight of 2022. The last time the 28-year-old was seen in action was in July 2021 when she lost a unanimous decision to Rachael Ostovich in the main event of BKFC 19. VanZant currently sits winless in the sport of bare-knuckle boxing at 0-2 since leaving the UFC in 2020.

VanZant is mostly known for her stint in the UFC where she competed for six years. She fought 11 times in the octagon, compiling a record of 6-5.

VanZant also has dabbled in pro wrestling and made her in-ring debut this past May for AEW.

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Spinning Back Clique: Dana White’s comments to GQ on fighter pay, Marlon Vera a serious UFC title contender, more

“Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show, discusses what to make of Dana White’s stance on fighter pay, Marlon Vera’s big win, and more.

Check out this week’s “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts.

Our panel of Danny Segura, Simon Samano and Brian “Goze” Garcia discuss five topics with host “Gorgeous” George Garcia.

  • The biggest fight from this past weekend saw [autotag]Marlon Vera[/autotag] defeat [autotag]Dominick Cruz[/autotag] in the main event at UFC on ESPN 41 in San Diego. Both men fought well, with Cruz taking a 2-1 lead going into Round 4. Cruz had been very active and put lots of pressure on “Chito,” while Vera was patient but potent. And then BOOM! A head kick ended the fight in the fourth to mark four wins in a row for Vera, who entered as No. 5 bantamweight in the official UFC rankings. How seriously should Vera be taken as a title contender at 135 pounds?
  • California, which sanctioned UFC on ESPN 41, is one of the few states that releases fighter pay, and that’s always an interesting discussion. The numbers for this event came out after UFC president [autotag]Dana White[/autotag] made some eye-raising comments to GQ about fighter pay in which he said raises are “never gonna happen while I’m still here” while also making claims about fighters, as a whole, getting a cut of pay-per-views, which isn’t accurate (unless something significant has changed without being announced). What did you think of White’s latest musings on this topic, and what did you first think when you saw the UFC on ESPN 41 salaries?
  • The UFC has strayed from the standard four fighters receiving $200,000 total in bonuses on more than one occasion this year, and it would’ve been nice for UFC on ESPN 41, but that wasn’t the case. Only Vera (Performance), Tyson Nam (Performance) and Nate Landwehr vs. David Onama (Fight) received an extra $50,000 on a night when there were a bunch of finishes and deserving performances. Are you OK with the randomness of extra bonuses, or should the UFC have a standard formula (i.e. all finishers get a bonus) across the board?
  • At 33, [autotag]Rory MacDonald[/autotag] announced his retirement from MMA this past weekend after he was TKO’d by short-notice replacement Dilano Taylor. It was a stunning exit from the PFL welterweight playoffs for MacDonald, which apparently signaled to him that it was time to hang up his gloves. Simple questions: What is MacDonald’s legacy in this sport?
  • Looking ahead to this weekend, there is a boat load of big fights coming our way between UFC 278, 2022 PFL Playoffs 3 and, oh yeah, BKFC London, which features [autotag]Mike Perry[/autotag] up against [autotag]Michael Page[/autotag] and the return of [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]. What fight are you targeting to possibly steal the show, and why?

“Spinning Back Clique” is released each Tuesday on MMA Junkie’s YouTube channel. You can watch the full episode in the video above.