Paige VanZant just signed a professional wrestling contract to go along with her deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). But she has not closed any kind of doors on mixed martial arts, where she first made her name.
VanZant told ESPN on Friday that she still plans to continue her MMA career at some point, adding that she still has many years left in combat sports. On Wednesday, VanZant was officially announced as signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). The AEW deal allows her to compete with BKFC, as well, she said.
“I do want to do MMA still and I do see my future in MMA,” VanZant said. “I’m 27 years old. I’ve just been fortunate enough that my career got kick-started at a very young age.”
VanZant said BKFC “couldn’t have been more supportive” with her jump to AEW and she has “no plans” to leave that promotion any time soon.
“[BKFC and AEW] will work together to build her career,” BKFC spokesperson Bernie Bahrmasel told ESPN.
While MMA opportunities are likely to be available to her in the future, VanZant said the contract with AEW is a “long-term” one that is “open-ended” and will allow her to compete in any combat sport of her choosing.
“I’m not closing any doors,” VanZant said. “I signed with the UFC when I was 19. I had my first fight at 20 years old.”
VanZant first appeared in AEW back in September as part of a storyline involving American Top Team, the camp she trains with in Coconut Creek, Florida. VanZant appeared with the likes of UFC star Jorge Masvidal, former UFC heavyweight champions Junior dos Santos and Andrei Arlovski and American Top Team owner Dan Lambert, who has been a regular, on-screen manager in AEW.
VanZant said she did those several AEW appearances for free, but started to fall in love with the performances and spectacle. She then asked her manager, Garrett Gager of First Round Management, to look into something more definitive with the pro-wrestling promotion. VanZant has a background in gymnastics, acting and dancing — she was runnerup on ABC’s “Dancing With The Stars” in 2016 — and believed a transition to wrestling would be a natural fit.
“The more I got involved, the more I loved it,” said VanZant, who added she always thought about venturing into pro wrestling one day. “I just realized I was meant to be a part of the show. I wanted to be one of the wrestlers for them and I knew I would be really good at it.”
Despite the several appearances, VanZant has yet to begin training in pro wrestling. Her first class, VanZant said, will be Monday. Sources told ESPN that the plan is for VanZant to train at Coastal Championship Wrestling in Pompano Beach, Florida under coach David Heath, who was known in WWE in the 1990s as Gangrel. But VanZant said she’s hoping to get thrown right into the AEW deep end.
“My only frustration so far with my whole pro-wrestling journey,” VanZant said, “is I would show up and I said, ‘Hey, I want to jump off the ropes tonight. I want to slam someone through a table tonight — someone is getting slammed through a table.’ They’re like, uh, you should probably train first.
“My only concern is they don’t let me do the crazy stuff right away. I want to go in there and I want to do all the crazy stuff. I want to fully immerse myself in this world.”
VanZant fought twice for BKFC last year, going 0-2. She last fought in MMA in 2020, before departing the UFC as a free agent for a lucrative contract with BKFC. VanZant, an Oregon native who lives and trains in Florida, remains one of the most popular female names in combat sports. “I’d love to see my face in AEW every week,” VanZant said, but she’s not sure how often she’ll be appear on AEW television.
“I think I bring a lot to the table,” VanZant said. “I have a whole different audience that doesn’t necessarily follow [AEW] yet. I have the pro fighting audience — pro MMA and pro boxing. I think I bring a lot of value with my name brand.”