Paige VanZant recently opened up about her transition from MMA to boxing and noted that she is in a much different situation than others who have made the transition.
VanZant competed in MMA for 8 years and spent the majority of that time in the UFC. After her departure from the promotion in 2020, she has since moved on and branched out into pro wrestling with AEW and bare knuckle boxing with BKFC.
'12 Gauge' will be returning to combat sports for the first time in three years, when she competes against Elle Brooke in the main event of MF x DAZN: X Series 15.
While speaking to Misfits Boxing, VanZant took a jibe at the likes of Dillon Danis and Ben Askren for struggling and mentioned that she is still young in combat sport. She said:
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"Dillon Danis is not a fighter. He's not a fair comparison...[Ben Askren?] Not a fighter. He's a wrestler. Nate Diaz is great...Jorge Masvidal...I think a lot of people try to compare my career to UFC veterans who leave the UFC because they either get cut or it's the end of their career. I left the UFC when I was, gosh, 25...I wasn't 40. I didn't have a hundred fights under my belt. I was still young in the career and young in my sport."
Check out Paige VanZant's comments below:
Who was Paige VanZant's final opponent in the UFC?
Paige VanZant hasn't competed in an MMA bout since UFC 251 in 2020, when she fought Amanda Ribas to open the main card.
Ribas made quick work of '12 Gauge' as she earned a submission win via armbar at 2:21 of the first round. It was the Brazilian's fifth consecutive win and improved her MMA record to 10-1.
It was the final bout on VanZant's UFC contract, who would then test free agency before transitioning to bare knuckle boxing.
Check out the UFC's tweet regarding Amanda Ribas submitting Paige VanZant below: