This UFC alum, Chopped champ, DWTS runner-up is now training at ATT in South Florida
The list of accomplishments of Paige VanZant is very impressive, especially considering she is just 26-years-old.
Not one to rest on her laurels, she continues to move forward; this time traveling south to do so.
Her next endeavor, boxing, with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships is set for Super Bowl Weekend in Tampa. That prompted a move from Oregon to South Florida, initially for training purposes.
Goodbye American Top Team Portland and hello American Top Team Coconut Creek.
When she and her husband, Bellator MMA fighter Austin Vanderford, trek to South Florida for a short test run, they were so impressed with ATT Coconut Creek and the area that they did not return to Portland.
They quickly relocated and now enjoy the sunny winter weather, relaxing in bathing suits by the pool. Imagine doing that in Oregon or Alaska (Vanderford’s homeland) during the winter.
A trained dancer growing up, VanZant also enjoyed dirt bike riding, hunting and fishing. It’s no wonder she turned to MMA.
UFC, the biggest MMA promotion globally, signed her at age 19 in December 2013. She went 5-4 in UFC.
UFC helped open doors for her. While a UFC fighter, VanZant won a “Chopped” celebrity competition on Food Network and placed runner-up (with pro dancer Mark Ballas) on ABC’s “Dancing With the Stars.”
She is a former Nike model, too, and she penned her autobiography Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life, released in April 2018.
Here is Part 1 of my audio interview with Paige VanZant.
Her final fight for UFC occurred in July.
She considered continuing her MMA career with Bellator, like her husband, but she opted to compete in boxing, signing with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships in August. She inked a four fight deal, and BKFC allows her to participate in other ventures as long as it does not conflict with her fighting schedule.
WWE?
A WWE fan, pro wrestling/sports entertainment is on her mind as well. She visited the WWE Performance Center, WWE’s state-of-the-art training center in Orlando.
Here is Part 2 of my audio interview with Paige VanZant.
Prior to UFC, VanZant moved with her family to Sparks, Nevada. Finding a dance studio on the agenda, when she spotted UFC alum Ken Shamrock’s gym, she began training in boxing and other martial arts. She loved it.
After winning an amateur fight at age 18, VanZant made her professional MMA debut on June 30, 2012, at UWF’s Tournament of Warriors finale against Jordan Nicole Gaza in Corpus Christi, Texas. VanZant won by split decision.
VanZant and Vanderford wed in September 2018. The happy couple host a show on YouTube titled “A Kickass Love Story: With Paige & Austin.”
Paige VanZant socially acceptable
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