UFC
Ex-UFC Fighter Paige VanZant Is About to Knock Your Socks off and More
John Moriello started covering sports in 1982, began digital publishing in 1995, and joined Sports7 in 2020. A graduate of St. John Fisher University, he finds inspiration in the underdogs and the fascinating stories sports can tell (both the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat). John expertly covers all aspects of NASCAR. Beginning with his 2014 coverage at Fox Sports of the aftermath of the dirt-race tragedy in which Kevin Ward Jr. died after being struck by a car driven by NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart, John has excelled as a journalist who specializes in the motorsports world. He previously spent more than three decades covering high school sports and worked as a beat writer covering Big East football and basketball, but NASCAR is now where the true expertise falls. John is a member of the New York State Basketball Hall of Fame (2013), the President of the New York State Sportswriters Association, and a two-time Best of Gannett winner for print and online collaborations whose work has appeared on FoxSports.com and MaxPreps.com.
Get to know John Moriello betterUpdated04 Feb 2021
When last the sports world saw Paige VanZant, the one-time mixed martial arts contender was losing for the fourth time in her last six UFC fights, ending her career there.
Her new career is barely different than her old one. Coincidentally, “barely” also describes how she’s dressed in the photo promoting her new, subscription-based website.
Paige VanZant makes her BKFC debut on Feb. 5
RELATED: Paige VanZant Survived Gang Rape, Bullying, and Suicidal Thoughts Before Her UFC Career
With the “12 Gauge Paige” nickname from her father, Paige VanZant attracted plenty of attention during her time in the UFC. Ultimately, she did not fight often enough or well enough to match the success of some of her other endeavors.
VanZant, 26, signed with the UFC after winning three of her four fights in other attractions. Her debut with the world’s best-known mixed martial arts organization came in November 2014, and VanZant got off to a 3-0 start. She even earned a Fight of the Night award her first time out.
Most of what transpired in the octagon after that was disappointing, beginning with a fifth-round loss via submission to Rose Namajunas in December 2015. Her next fight was a win via knockout eight months later. However, injuries and her other commitments limited the remainder of her career to four bouts in 43 months.
In 2016, VanZant participated in the 22nd season of Dancing with the Stars, where she finished second. The following year, she was a contestant on Chopped, a cooking contest on the Food Network. That was followed in 2018 by the release of her biography.
Paige VanZant is set for her Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship debut
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When UFC president Dana White did not offer Page VanZant a new contract after her first-round loss by submission to Amanda Ribas in July 2020, she took a look at Bellator (husband Austin Vanderford fights there) and the WWE. However, VanZant opted to move on to the relatively obscure Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, which began in 2018.
She makes her debut on Feb. 5, 2021, by taking on Britain Hart in a card being staged in Clearwater, Florida, and being shown for $19.99 via online pay-per-view.
“I was in the UFC for six years getting paid $40,000 (to show) and $40,000 (to win), and now I’m getting 10 times that doing what I love,” VanZant said, according to USA Today. So, obviously, I’m not going anywhere. I’m very happy fighting here and I’m excited to fight.”
Right on schedule, VanZant and Hart, who has a 1-2 record, engaged in shoving and cussing during their weigh-ins the day before their fight, with BKFC president David Feldman stepping in to keep them separated.
A new website just in time for her BKFC debut
RELATED: UFC’s Paige VanZant Regularly Posting Nudes on Instagram During Pandemic
Aside from the attention that came from Dancing with the Stars and her UFC career, Paige VanZant has garnered considerable notoriety for at-times risqué photos that she has posted on social media.
Now, she is taking it to a new level. VanZant, who has 2.7 million Instagram followers, has rolled out PaigeFanZant.com, a subscription website promising exclusive content for $19.99 a month.
“Every time I check my social media, my fans are always asking me for more,” she said in a press release.
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