Paige VanZant has officially announced her return to mixed martial arts, marking the end of a nearly five-year hiatus from the sport.
The 30-year-old fighter revealed that she has signed with the newly established Global Fight League.
VanZant, whose last MMA bout was in July 2020 at UFC 251, lost to Amanda Ribas via submission before transitioning to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) just a month later.
Her time in BKFC, however, was less than great, with two consecutive losses that led to a three-year break from combat sports.
In a recent episode of her podcast, A Kickass Love Story, VanZant shared her excitement about returning to MMA:
New MMA organization. They are picking up anybody and everybody who has a name in this sport who is a free agent.
They offered me a contract, and I said yes. Going back to MMA.I think this is the perfect opportunity because I didn’t necessarily leave MMA.
I definitely didn’t leave MMA because I wasn’t passionate about it anymore.
VanZant explained that her departure from MMA in 2020 wasn’t due to a loss of interest – but was instead driven by the financial opportunities presented by BKFC:
The biggest offer that came was in bare-knuckle boxing.
They were the ones. They presented the best offer to me, and it was exciting.It was new, and it definitely sparked my interest.
Now, with the Global Fight League offering what VanZant described as competitive compensation and a refreshing approach to promoting MMA, she feels reinvigorated:
There’s this new MMA organization that actually made me really excited to fight for them.
The way they’re doing it… They’re legit paying their athletes.
While VanZant expressed excitement about her return, she also emphasized that financial security remains a significant motivator at this stage of her career:
If you’re doing a job and not being paid your value for it, then it’s a hobby.
You just never know when it’s over, so I want to do everything I can to make the most money while I can…And be able to provide for my family forever.
Sloth Jiu-Jitsu: you can be slow and unathletic and still kick butt in Jiu-Jitsu.
