Paige VanZant’s combat sports career has taken another wacky turn.
It’s been more than five years since “PVZ” last competed in MMA, but that doesn’t mean the Dancing with the Stars competitor has been sitting on the sidelines. In her time away from the cage, she’s competed in bare knuckle boxing, gloved professional boxing, and Power Slap. Hilariously, she’s been the most successful in slap fighting, where she currently holds an undefeated record.
VanZant signed with Global Fight League (GFL). She hasn’t competed in the cage since a July 2020 defeat to Amanda Ribas, but VanZant expressed excitement about getting back into the action of her base sport.
Alas, it wasn’t meant to be.
Yesterday, news broke that GFL was canceling its inaugural duo of MMA events … or perhaps postponing them to June? It sort of depends on who you ask. Either way, the reaction was widely negative, as fans, fighters, and pundits alike declared GFL dead in the water.
Hopping aboard the exodus is Paige VanZant. Earlier on Thursday, “12 Gauge” posted on her Instagram story and declared herself a free agent.
Paige VanZant — who was one of the fighters originally scheduled to compete at the now cancelled GFL cards in May — just posted “free agent” on her IG stories.
I’ve heard quite a few fighters signed there are very doubtful about GFL having a future of any kind.#GFL pic.twitter.com/3wY9kIteIz
— Damon Martin (@DamonMartin) April 10, 2025
I don’t know what kind of contracts VanZant has signed with GFL, but somehow, I don’t think the fledgling promotion has the means to enforce them. With “PVZ” back on the market, is a UFC return her next move? Just last month, VanZant revealed that she was nostalgic about her time in the promotion and motivated to make a comeback.
Perhaps now the path is clear … if UFC is interested.
