PAIGE VanZant is best known as an OnlyFans star – but she’s also been a professional boxer since 2012.
Here’s everything you need to know about the star.
Who is mixed martial arts fighter Paige VanZant?
VanZant was born Paige Sletten on March 26, 1994, in Dundee, Oregon.
Growing up, her parents owned a dance studio, where she trained in ballet, jazz, and hip hop for thirteen years.
She also starred in a Bissell mop commercial when she was a teenager.
She was considered a tomboy growing up and loved riding dirt bikes, fishing, and being outdoors.
Paige legally changed her last name from Sletten to VanZant due to persistent bullying in high school.
She noted that her experiences with bullying were one of the reasons she loved learning mixed martial arts and being able to defend herself.
After high school, her family moved to Nevada, where she tried to find a dance studio, but came across UFC veteran Ken Shamrock’s gym.
She began training in MMA and boxing, which led her to win an amateur fight at age 18.
VanZant made his professional MMA debut in 2012.
She signed a deal to wrestle under the All Elite Wrestling (AEW) banner in 2022.
In 2018, she married fellow MMA fighter Austin Vanderford.
When was Paige VanZant in the UFC?
In 2013, VanZant and ten other women signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) new Strawweight division.
She made her UFC debut in 2014 in a knockout victory over Kailin Curran.
After defeating Curran, VanZant saw his popularity rise and secured a sponsorship deal with Reebok.
The deal proved controversial as the 5-foot-4 beauty only had one fight until then.
Other fighters and the media speculated that she was favored because of her looks.
UFC President Dana White defended the Reebok deal, saying it was due to the “it” factor and VanZant’s personality.
In 2020, VanZant announced that she was leaving the UFC to pursue a more lucrative fighting career.
She said Heavy that she wants to retire from combat sports one day, so she wants to make as much money as possible while she still can.
Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) has signed VanZant to an exclusive four-fight contract.
She made her debut for BKFC in a defeat against former boxer Britain Hart in February 2021.
She has not fought in BKFC since losing to Rachel Ostovich in July 2021.
What have been some of Paige VanZant’s TV appearances?
In 2016, VanZant was announced for the 22nd season of the popular dance competition Dancing With The Stars.
She was paired with professional dancer Mark Ballas and placed second.
VanZant has openly stated that he makes more money on DWTS than he did in his entire time in the UFC.
A year later, the fighter appeared on the Food Network celebrity cooking competition show Chopped.
She was featured in the episode “Star Powers: Culinary Muscle” with NFL star LaMarr Woodley, Olympic gold medalist fencer Mariel Zagunis, and Olympic gold medalist figure skater Dorothy Hamill.
How many followers does Paige VanZant have on Instagram?
VanZant made headlines in 2019 when she said she made more money “staying at home posting pictures on Instagram than fighting.”
Since 2024, the former dancer has 3.1 million subscribers on Instagram.
She also said, “I added up all the money I made in the UFC over six years, and I could have had a regular job with the same salary.”
What is Paige VanZant’s net worth?
According to Fight FansVanZant is worth around $3 million as of May 2024.
The 30-year-old bombshell launched her exclusive subscription-based website PaigeFanZant.com.
Fans pay $9.99 per month for photos, videos and access to the star.
According to ESPN’s Ariel Helwani, VanZant’s BKFC deal is worth more than $1 million plus incentives, a “significant increase” from what she was making in the UFC.
VanZant also released an autobiography in 2018 called Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life.
She has modeled for Nike, Columbia Footwear, Reebok and appeared in the 2019 Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue.
VanZant’s endorsements include Monster Energy Drinks, Metro PCS and Harley Davidson.
See also:
What is Paige VanZant’s boxing record?
VanZant’s boxing record stands at 8-5-0.
This means that out of her thirteen fights, she won eight, lost five and had no draws.
However, she has not fought since 2021 after losing two fights in a row.
When does Paige VanZant fight Elle Brooke?
VanZant returns to boxing with a fight against OnlyFans and TikTok star Elle Brooke on Saturday, May 25, 2024 in Houston, Texas.
The fight is sponsored by Misfits Boxing and is the flagship bout of MF & DAZN: X Series 15 for the MFB Women’s Middleweight Championship.
She told SunSport UK she has spent the past three years training for her comeback.
She continued: “I don’t look at my bank account.
“I have a financial advisor, so I honestly have no idea how much money I have!
I know that I love to train, I love to work hard, I love to win fights to succeed, and I love to take care of those around me.
“As long as I continue to do what I love, for me it’s just background noise.
“And of course, it’s a benefit for me to call what I love a career and it can support me financially.
“But I would do it for free. That’s what I find fun.”
