Paige VanZant, once a promising young talent in the UFC, made a significant shift in her career path – choosing not to re-sign the contract with the world’s best-known MMA organization so that she can, instead, focus on other business ventures.

It all took place after her contract-ending fight at UFC 251, against Amanda Ribas.
Reflecting on her decision, VanZant shared with MMA Fighting:

Me re-signing with the UFC would have been the safe choice, but I just wasn’t happy anymore.
It’s not ill will toward the UFC, but I just knew I needed something else. I needed a change.

I signed with the UFC when I was 19. I had my first fight when I was 20.
I need something different. I need to spark my passion again.

Looking back, it’s been a mature decision on her end:

I kind of had my mind made up that I was ready to leave the UFC.
So when I became a free agent and they came with their offer to re-sign me, I was already moved on.

That part of my life is closed, and I was ready for the next chapter, and I didn’t know what it would be.

VanZant’s post-UFC journey led her to the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) – a move that surprised many:

Making the transition to BKFC, I’m really happy I did it still. I’m so super happy with the decision.

Me switching to BKFC hasn’t been successful just for wins, I feel accomplished.
I went 10 rounds with some really, really tough people, some really tough chicks doing bare-knuckle boxing.

Anybody who steps into bare-knuckle boxing needs to get a round of applause. It’s a whole different animal.
It’s violent and brutal, and it feels different.

In parallel with her BKFC career, VanZant also ventured into the world of OnlyFans, a decision that was initially met with skepticism:

I already had it in the back on my mind like I love my body, I love being sexy, it’s a big part of who I am, should I do this?

I had prior managers that were, like: “No, no, no, you have to stay away, you’ll lose all your sponsors and no one will ever want to work with you.”

She then found the right management and…

I launched it right before my first BKFC fight. I’m in the car on the way from the press conference back to my hotel, and I logged in, and it had only been live for an hour and I was seeing the subscribers going up, and I think I had 52,000 subscribers at one point.

I was showing my husband and I was, like: “Oh my word!”
That moment driving back [to the hotel], I was of course extremely excited to fight, but I was, like – our lives just changed forever.