Paige VanZant doubts she’ll ever compete in MMA again.
The 30-year-old made her name in the UFC before leaving in 2020 and launching a new career as a bare-knuckle boxer by signing a $1.2million deal with BKFC.
After two fights and two losses, VanZant put on the gloves for a boxing bout with OnlyFans star Elle Brooke, who shockingly dropped her when they battled to a controversial draw in May.
A month later, ’12 Gauge’ switched sports again when she accepted Dana White’s offer to compete in slap fighting for his Power Slap promotion, where she outpointed Christine Wolmarans to snap her five-year winless run.
READ MORE: Paige VanZant reveals the one thing she misses about being a UFC fighter as she teases upcoming news
Paige VanZant reveals injuries have likely ended her MMA career
VanZant is currently gearing up for another Power Slap bout.
On October 24, she’ll take on Chelsea Dodson, who is married to former UFC flyweight contender John Dodson, at Space42 Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Although a portion of fans are entertained by watching VanZant’s exploits in other sports, many others just want to see her return to the one that made her famous.
However, the American says a reoccurring injury has likely ended her MMA career.
“I don’t ever like to say I’m closing the door 100 percent, but I do see it would be hard for me to go back into MMA, not because I don’t love it or not because I don’t have a passion for it still, but like I said, I broke my arm five times in my life and four times in basically two years of competing,” VanZant told MMA Junkie.
“I had two surgeries on it, and I still have a huge plate that runs the length of my entire forearm.
“So just going back to that place of risking breaking my arm again and having surgery again and getting set back, I can still have the thrill of competing, and I can still get that rush without putting my body at risk.
“One, I’m fine if I break my arm, it’s really just the mental fortitude, I don’t know if I can push through that again. It was a really, really rough few years.”
Paige VanZant loved her first Power Slap experience
White’s slap fighting promotion has faced heavy criticism ever since its launch, but the MMA mogul has repeatedly backed Power Slap to become ‘bigger than the UFC’.
VanZant didn’t really see White’s vision when she first signed up for a slap fight, she just said yes to an opportunity that was put in front of her.
After making her debut at Power Slap 8, ‘PVZ’ fell in love with the sport and happily signed up for another fight as soon as it was offered.
“My draw to Power Slap is that I had nothing going on, and I just came out of a boxing match, so I was like, ‘You know what, I’m already in shape,’” VanZant said.
“They called and asked if I wanted to do Power Slap, and I was like, ‘Yeah, why not? It seems like a great opportunity.’
“I didn’t know if I would want to do it again, it was a brand-new experience, and I absolutely loved it.”
- READ MORE: Paige VanZant breaks silence as she demands rematch following draw with Tik Tok star Elle Brooke