Paige VanZant facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Paige VanZant
VanZant in 2019
Born	Paige Michelle Sletten (1994-03-26) March 26, 1994 (age 31) Dundee, Oregon, U.S.
Other names	Paige Vanderford
Height	5 ft 4 in (163 cm)
Weight	125 lb (57 kg; 8 st 13 lb)
Division	Strawweight (2012–2017) Flyweight (2017–present)
Reach	65 in (165 cm)
Fighting out of	Coconut Creek, Florida
Team	Team Alpha Male (2013–2017) Team Quest (2017–2019) American Top Team Portland (2017–2020) American Top Team Miami (2020–present)
Trainer	Pedro Diaz (boxing)
Rank	Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu under Fabiano Scherner
Years active	2012–present
Professional boxing record
Total	1
Draws	1
Mixed martial arts record
Total	13
Wins	8
By knockout	2
By submission	3
By decision	3
Losses	5
By submission	3
By decision	2
Amateur record
Total	1
Wins	1
By submission	1
Other information
Spouse	Austin Vanderford ​ (m. 2018)​
Paige VanZant Professional wrestling career Ring name(s) Paige VanZant Billed height 5 ft 4 in (163 cm) Billed weight 115 lb (52 kg) Trained by Gangrel Debut May 29, 2022

Paige Michelle VanZant, born on March 26, 1994, is an American athlete. She is known for her skills in mixed martial arts, which is a sport combining different fighting styles. Paige has also competed in bare-knuckle boxing, professional wrestling, and even slap fighting. Besides sports, she is an author and a model.

Paige used to fight in the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). She competed in the strawweight and flyweight divisions. She has also appeared on TV shows like Dancing with the Stars and Chopped.

Early Life and Growing Up

Paige VanZant was born in Dundee, Oregon, and grew up in Sherwood, Oregon. Her parents owned a dance studio. Because of this, Paige spent over 13 years learning different dance styles. These included ballet, jazz, and hip hop.

As a teenager, Paige was in a TV commercial for a mop. She was a tomboy and loved being outdoors. Her favorite hobbies were riding dirt bikes and fishing. In high school, some girls were mean to her. They made fun of her last name, Sletten. Because of this, Paige legally changed her last name to VanZant. She chose this name because she liked how it sounded. This experience made her want to be a martial artist so she could defend herself.

Paige's Martial Arts Journey

Starting Out in Fighting

VanZant in 2012, before her first amateur fight

After her family moved to Sparks, Nevada, Paige looked for a dance studio. Instead, she found a gym owned by UFC fighter Ken Shamrock. There, she started training in boxing and other martial arts.

Paige won her first amateur fight when she was 18. She then made her professional mixed martial arts (MMA) debut on June 30, 2012. She won her first two professional fights by decision. However, in her third fight in January 2013, she lost to Tecia Torres.

Fighting in the UFC (2013–2020)

Strawweight Division Fights

In December 2013, the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) created a new division for women called Strawweight. Paige was one of the first 11 women signed to this division. She was supposed to be on a TV show called The Ultimate Fighter to find the first champion. But she was only 20 years old, and the show required fighters to be at least 21. So, she couldn't join.

Paige made her UFC debut on November 22, 2014. She fought Kailin Curran and won by TKO (Technical Knockout) in the third round. This fight was so exciting that it won the Fight of the Night award.

After this win, Paige became very popular. She signed a sponsorship deal with Reebok in 2015. Some people wondered why she got the deal so quickly. UFC president Dana White said it was because of her strong personality and "it" factor.

Paige continued to win in the UFC. She beat Felice Herrig in April 2015 and Alex Chambers in September 2015. She won against Chambers with an armbar submission in the third round.

In December 2015, Paige fought Rose Namajunas. She lost this fight by submission in the fifth round.

After appearing on Dancing with the Stars, Paige returned to fighting in August 2016. She fought Bec Rawlings and won by knockout in the second round. She landed a flying head kick and then punches. This amazing win earned her the Performance of the Night award.

In December 2016, Paige fought Michelle Waterson. She lost this fight in the first round by a rear-naked choke. She finished her time in the strawweight division ranked No. 12.

Moving to Flyweight Division

In August 2017, Paige decided to move to a heavier division, the 125-pound flyweight division. Her first fight in this new division was in January 2018 against Jessica Rose-Clark. During the fight, Paige broke her arm. She lost the fight by decision.

After taking a year off to heal her arm, Paige fought Rachael Ostovich in January 2019. She won this fight with an armbar submission in the second round.

Paige had to pull out of a few more fights because of her arm. She broke her right arm again, which needed time to heal. Her last fight in the UFC was on July 12, 2020, against Amanda Ribas. Paige lost this fight by submission in the first round.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (2020–Present)

In August 2020, Paige signed a contract to fight in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC). This is a sport where fighters punch each other without gloves.

Paige had her first BKFC fight on February 5, 2021, against Britain Hart. She lost this fight by decision. In July 2021, she fought Rachael Ostovich again, whom she had beaten in MMA. Paige lost this bare-knuckle fight by decision as well. This fight was exciting and earned the Fight of the Night award.

Misfits Boxing (2024–Present)

On April 19, 2024, Paige announced she would start professional boxing with Misfits Boxing. Her first boxing match was on May 25, 2024, against Elle Brooke. The fight ended in a draw.

Power Slap (2024–Present)

Paige also started competing in slap fighting in June 2024. In her first slap fight, she won against Christine Volmarans. Her second slap fight in October 2024 ended in a draw.

Global Fight League (2025–Present)

It was announced in January 2025 that Paige VanZant had signed with the Global Fight League.

Paige's Fighting Style

Paige VanZant is known for her aggressive fighting style. She often tries to grab her opponent and then hit them with punches or knees. When standing, she likes to push her opponents against the fence. There, she uses knees, elbows, and punches.

Paige puts a lot of pressure on her opponents when grappling. If an opponent gets away from her, she quickly tries to get close again. She is also good at striking from a distance, using high kicks and punches. She says her dancing background helps her with flexible and agile moves. For example, she knocked out Bec Rawlings with a jumping switch kick.

Paige also has a purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, which is a martial art focused on grappling and ground fighting.

Professional Wrestling Career

On September 15, 2021, Paige VanZant made her first appearance in professional wrestling with All Elite Wrestling (AEW). She appeared with other fighters from American Top Team. She later attacked wrestler Chris Jericho.

In February 2022, Paige attacked Brandi Rhodes on an episode of Dynamite. On March 4, the head of AEW, Tony Khan, announced that Paige would sign with the company. She signed her AEW contract on top of another wrestler, Tay Conti, after helping her team win a championship match.

Paige made her first wrestling match debut on May 29, 2022. She teamed with Ethan Page and Scorpio Sky. Their team won the match. Paige last appeared for AEW in May 2022. Her profile was removed from the AEW website in June 2024, meaning she officially left the company.

TV Show Appearances

Dancing with the Stars

In March 2016, Paige was a celebrity contestant on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars. She danced with professional dancer Mark Ballas. They did very well and finished in second place in the competition.

¹ For this week, VanZant performed with troupe member Alan Bersten due to Ballas suffering a back injury during rehearsals.
² Score given by guest judge Zendaya.
³ For this week only, as part of "America's Switch Up", VanZant performed with Sasha Farber instead of Ballas. Ballas performed with Ginger Zee.
⁴ Score given by guest judge Maksim Chmerkovskiy.
⁵ Due to Inaba being the judge coaching VanZant's team during the team-up dance, the viewers scored the dance in her place with the average score being counted alongside the remaining judges.

Chopped Cooking Competition

On March 3, 2017, Paige was one of 16 celebrities on a cooking show called Chopped on the Food Network. She was in an episode called "Star Power: Culinary Muscle." Paige won her episode, becoming the "Chopped winner."

Paige's Book

Paige VanZant wrote a book about her life called Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life. It was released on April 10, 2018. The book shares her journey to fame, including her fights, personal challenges, and her time on Dancing with the Stars.

Personal Life

Paige's father gave her the nickname "12 Gauge." This is because she loves shooting and hunting.

She has worked as a model for companies like Nike and Columbia Sportswear.

In September 2018, Paige married Austin Vanderford. He is also a professional MMA fighter. They started dating in 2017, and Austin proposed to Paige in January 2018.

Awards and Achievements

Mixed Martial Arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Kailin Curran
  • Performance of the Night (One time) vs. Bec Rawlings
  • UFC.com Awards
    • 2014: Ranked #10 Newcomer of the Year
• MMAjunkie.com
  • 2019 January Submission of the Month vs. Rachael Ostovich

Bare-Knuckle Boxing

• Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship
  • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Rachael Ostovich

Mixed Martial Arts Record

Amateur record

Bare-Knuckle Boxing Record

Professional Boxing Record

Slap Fighting Record

Images for kids

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  VanZant in 2019

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  VanZant in 2012, prior to her first amateur bout

See also

• List of female mixed martial artists