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For most of its history, MMA has been no great way to get rich. For the few fighters that have ridden the wave of their combat sports fame to fortune, plenty more have sacrificed their physical prime chasing dreams that never quite become reality.
At one point, Paige Van Zant appeared to be on her way to bonafide UFC stardom. Her tenacity in the cage, willingness to self promote, and undeniable good looks made her a fighter clearly on the rise when she first hit the UFC Octagon. But even for a talent who so clearly had captured the public eye, breaking through proved difficult. Injuries took their toll, as did struggles to find the right training environment. After getting released by the UFC in 2020 it appears PVZ has left the MMA world behind.
Paige VanZant says OnlyFans income dwarfs UFC career pay
In a recent interview with Barstool Sports, VanZant talked about her post UFC career. While that included a short (and reportedly very well paying) stint with bare knuckle boxing promotion BKFC, the biggest moneymaker in VanZant’s career has become her OnlyFans page. In fact, she’s apparently made so much money on the platform that the combat sports world couldn’t even pretend to compete.
“I definitely have,” VanZant admitted when asked if she’d made more money on OnlyFans than she did fighting (transcript via MMA Junkie). “I’d say when I made the switch to OnlyFans—there’s a lot of stuff I’ve done in my career and I’ve been really fortunate my career even outside of the UFC and outside of fighting has been pretty successful. I’ve worked pretty hard in other industries and trying to cross over to more of a mainstream personality.
“But yes, OnlyFans has definitely been my largest source of income. I would say combined, in my fighting career, I think I’ve made more money in 24 hours on OnlyFans than I did in my entire fighting career combined.”
Paige VanZant on making more ‘adult’ content
After amassing millions of fans on her Instagram, Paige VanZant made the move to OnlyFans back in 2021. That decision didn’t come without some trepidation, however. Initially VanZant tried to start her own private social media service for fans to subscribe to her exclusive content, in part because she wasn’t interested in being associated with OnlyFans’ more X-rated branding. Eventually, however she made the jump to the popular subscription site.
“I was nervous about the stigma but now it’s hard to walk away from,” VanZant told Barstool of making more mature content for OnlyFans. “… But I feel like if you’re one of those people who were born poor and grew up poor and then you become rich, it’s almost like you always just feel poor. You always want to continue to work hard.
“I am lucky I’m in a position where I’ve been able to help my family, My husband and I help our family. We do everything we can to bring everybody up to the table. … For me, it justifies doing exclusive content knowing that I’m helping take care of everybody around me.”
VanZant hasn’t competed in any kind of combat sport since her two-fight BKFC run in 2021. She was scheduled for another bare knuckle fight in late 2022, but the bout was eventually scrapped and her opponent re-booked. She made a brief run in professional wrestling as well, performing for AEW between 2021-22, however she has not made an appearance for the promotion this year.
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