Paige VanZant was recently a guest on the Carton & Roberts show for WFAN Sports Radio 101.9 FM/660 AM New York, where she discussed how she plans to keep competing in MMA, despite the fact that she recently signed with All Elite Wrestling. The former UFC fighter put pen to paper on the March 9 episode of AEW Dynamite, but she intends to pursue success in both worlds.
“I’m not done MMA fighting at all,” said VanZant said. “I think people have this idea that you have to stick with one thing, but being a mixed martial artist, and being in this sport, you can evolve and can focus on one aspect at any given time. Definitely not retired from MMA, but at this current moment, I am signed to [professional boxing and professional wrestling].”
Paige VanZant also recalled how she got into the world of fighting in the first place. She explained that being bullied as a kid prompted her to ask her parents to let her sign up for MMA classes in high school.
“I did go through some significant bullying as a kid, I wrote a book about it,” said VanZant. “It’s called, ‘Rise’…My dad was in high school and part of college [where] he wrestled. [He was a] huge fan of MMA and UFC, watched it on T.V. One day I was like, ‘You think it’ll be okay if I tried MMA?’, and my mom was like, ‘I don’t know’, and my dad, of course, was like, ‘Hell yeah, I’m taking you to your first class. We’re doing it together, let’s go.’
“I started fighting when I was 15…That passion got sparked in me at a young age, and just because I grew up and matured, doesn’t mean I changed who I was…I know I’ll be successful at absolutely anything. You don’t stop your dreams in fear of your looks…I’ve been asked about professional wrestling for a really long time. I kind of always knew it would be a part of my journey and part of my life, I just didn’t know when the opportunity would take off.”
With this passion for fighting, it seems like VanZant is a natural fit in AEW. Moving forward, many fans are curious to see how her journey in the company will play out.
Paige VanZant’s MMA record currently stands at 8-5, with her last fight coming as a submission loss to Amanda Ribas at UFC 251 in July 2020.
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