5 things you need to know about former UFC fighter and AEW star Paige Van Zant

AEW confirmed former UFC star Paige VanZant has signed with the promotion. VanZant appeared on last week's Dynamite during the main event bout between Sammy Guevara and Scorpio Sky for the TNT Championship.

She attacked Guevara's valet and real-life girlfriend, Tay Conti, at ringside before signing her AEW contract on top of Conti's motionless body. The distraction led to Sky winning the title.

Since first appearing in AEW in September 2021, VanZant has accompanied members of American Top Team and Men of the Year during their feud with The Inner Circle. Fans were immediately drawn to the bare-knuckle boxer's innate charisma and natural heelish tendencies. Her promo battle with Chris Jericho was incredibly well-received. Now that she's officially #AllElite, here are five things you need to know about Paige VanZant:

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#5. Paige VanZant legally changed her last name due to bullying

Paige VanZant has a unique last name, but it's not the surname she was born with. She legally changed her surname due to excessive bullying in high school.

Paige's actual surname was Sletten, which led to her being derided by her peers as students called her 'Slutton.' She adopted one of her mother's students ' last names because she liked how it sounded. The constant bullying was the fuel that motivated her to train to become a fighter.

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#4. Ex-WWE star Ken Shamrock introduced Paige VanZant to fighting

Here's a name that will resonate with wrestling fans. UFC legend Ken Shamrock had a successful wrestling career and was one of the biggest stars during the Attitude Era. It felt predestined that Shamrock would be the one to discover VanZant and help her train in MMA.

When VanZant moved to Sparks, Nevada, as a teen, she discovered The Lion's Den, a legendary fight gym run by Shamrock. At her father's urging, VanZant decided to enrol. She focused on boxing but eventually moved to MMA. From there, Shamrock spotted her talent. VanZant shortly made her debut at the age of 18 in 2012. The rest, as they say, is history.

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#3. Paige VanZant's dancing background help her become a runner-up in Dancing With The Stars

Paige VanZant is an accomplished combat fighter and has a background in dance. VanZant's parents owned a dance studio, and she learned different forms of dances there. For the first few years of her life, VanZant mastered hip hop, jazz and ballet.

Her dance ability served her well when Dancing with the Stars came calling. She joined the 22nd season of the long-running dance reality show. Paige was the runner-up of the 22nd season.

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#2. Paige VanZant's UFC career and BKFC

Paige VanZant had a decent career in the UFC, with an overall professional MMA record of eight wins and five losses. She fought in two weight classes: Strawweight and Flyweight. VanZant was the youngest woman to compete in the UFC when she debuted in 2012. Her impressive performance earned her a Fight of the Night bonus.

Apart from AEW, Paige currently competes in BKFC, a bare-knuckle fight promotion, with a professional record of zero-wins and two-losses. VanZant also has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Like fellow AEW and MMA star Jake Hager, it looks like VanZant will continue to compete in both sports.

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#1. Before signing with AEW, Paige VanZant considered joining WWE

Before signing with AEW, Paige VanZant revealed "communication" between herself and WWE, and she even visited the WWE Performance Center.

In an interview with INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet Podcast before her AEW deal was made official, Paige talked about a potential move to WWE:

"I get asked about WWE a lot…I think it'd be something I’d be very good at. Because I've the best of both worlds. I was a dancer, I used to like the entertainment and showmanship side of it…and then the combat sports world obviously goes into WWE. But I don’t know that it’s something I could do, both at the same time. I feel like I'd want to do that 100 percent. So, maybe, it’s something after I’m done fighting in a cage and in a ring, that kind of stuff, maybe I’ll go over to there. We’ll see, the door’s definitely open."

"There's definitely a path. Communication is actually there sometimes so we’re able to communicate and show our interests...Once there’s a little more free time in my schedule, I think that’s something I'd really like to pursue…Yes, I've visited their campus…Performance Center because it’s up in Orlando, so I was able to go visit and look around and get a sense of what it’s all about."

In WWE, she'd be following in the footsteps of Ronda Rousey, who successfully made the transition from MMA to wrestling. Now that she's starting her wrestling career in AEW, Paige VanZant will get a chance to make her mark in the newer promotion.