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Paige VanZant reveals what it is really like to work with Dana White as she opens up on UFC split ahead of MMA comeback
Paige VanZant has opened up on her decision to leave the UFC and join the GFL during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT. The women’s MMA star hasn’t competed inside the cage since splitting from the UFC in 2020 following a submission loss to Amanda Ribas. VanZant spent six years fighting in the UFC from 2014-2020GETTY VanZant burst onto the scene as a fresh-faced 20-year-old in 2014, with three consecutive wins over Kailin Curran, Felice Herrig and Alex Chambers. However, she wound up losing four of her next six fights with MMA’s premier promotion before choosing to go at it alone as a free agent. Her decision to leave the UFC had no bearing on her relationship with the promotion or company president Dana White and was solely motivated by money. VanZant now earns $400,000 a fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) – ten times more than she pocketed on her original UFC contract ($40,000 to show, $40,000 win bonus). Meanwhile, she is also raking in mega bucks for Power Slap – which is owned by White. Several former UFC stars have described White as a cold character. Former welterweight title challenger Darren Till recently described his former boss as ‘cut-throat’ during an interview with talkSPORT. But PVZ only had good things to say about the MMA mogul when the same question was posed to her by talkSPORT’s Will Varney. “I love Dana. I have always had an incredible relationship with him,” she told talkSPORT MMA at a Super Bowl game week press event in New Orleans. “Even when I chose to leave the UFC as a free agent. I think he has a very good understanding of what business is. VanZant is now working with White at Power SlapPower Slap She has nothing but good things to say about former UFC boss WhiteGetty The American fighter is set to return to MMAGETTY “And we have to look out for ourselves as athletes and business is business. “I left the UFC, but obviously I came back for Power Slap. “I had no ill will towards the UFC when I left. He supported me my entire career and we spoke about me going over to BKFC and fighting in boxing. “He has supported me in my entire career and I’m really happy to be under the UFC umbrella again doing Power Slap. “And for me, I think he is a true businessman and there is a reason the UFC is as big as it is and he is one of those big driving forces.” Since leaving the UFC, VanZant has gone 0-2 in BKFC and 1-0-1 in PowerSlap while she also drew with OnlyFans star Elle Brooke in May when she tried her hand at boxing. GFLVanZant is back in MMA with GFL[/caption] However, she hasn’t competed in her primary sport, MMA, for over five years. That is set to change in 2025 though, with VanZant signing for the newly formed MMA promotional outfit Global Fight League (GFL). Explaining her decision to join the GFL, VanZant added: “I was itching to get back into MMA. “I felt like it was going to take the right promotion to really excite me again and here comes the GFL. “They knocked on the door, they gave me their initial sales pitch and I was hooked. “They are changing the game for MMA fighters. They are really creating an NFL season, but for the fighters. “On top of that we are getting taken care of more like MMA fighters, we are getting a revenue share, we are getting insurance. “It is going to be completely different. Say we get injured we are still being able to capitalise and get revenue from the company we are signed with.” GFL is set to launch in 2025 and will feature six teams from four continents, with venues booked in 10 cities worldwide. Each team will consist of 20 fighters across ten weight classes. Multiple former UFC stars including Tyron Woodley, Fabricio Werdum, Anthony Pettis, Luke Rockhold and Alexander Gustafsson have signed for the promotion alongside VanZant.
Paige VanZant has opened up on her decision to leave the UFC and join the GFL during an exclusive interview with talkSPORT.
The women’s MMA star hasn’t competed inside the cage since splitting from the UFC in 2020 following a submission loss to Amanda Ribas.
VanZant burst onto the scene as a fresh-faced 20-year-old in 2014, with three consecutive wins over Kailin Curran, Felice Herrig and Alex Chambers.
However, she wound up losing four of her next six fights with MMA’s premier promotion before choosing to go at it alone as a free agent.
Her decision to leave the UFC had no bearing on her relationship with the promotion or company president Dana White and was solely motivated by money.
VanZant now earns $400,000 a fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) – ten times more than she pocketed on her original UFC contract ($40,000 to show, $40,000 win bonus).
Meanwhile, she is also raking in mega bucks for Power Slap – which is owned by White.
Several former UFC stars have described White as a cold character.
Former welterweight title challenger Darren Till recently described his former boss as ‘cut-throat’ during an interview with talkSPORT.
But PVZ only had good things to say about the MMA mogul when the same question was posed to her by talkSPORT’s Will Varney.
“I love Dana. I have always had an incredible relationship with him,” she told talkSPORT MMA at a Super Bowl game week press event in New Orleans.
“Even when I chose to leave the UFC as a free agent. I think he has a very good understanding of what business is.
“And we have to look out for ourselves as athletes and business is business.
“I left the UFC, but obviously I came back for Power Slap.
“I had no ill will towards the UFC when I left. He supported me my entire career and we spoke about me going over to BKFC and fighting in boxing.
“He has supported me in my entire career and I’m really happy to be under the UFC umbrella again doing Power Slap.
“And for me, I think he is a true businessman and there is a reason the UFC is as big as it is and he is one of those big driving forces.”
Since leaving the UFC, VanZant has gone 0-2 in BKFC and 1-0-1 in PowerSlap while she also drew with OnlyFans star Elle Brooke in May when she tried her hand at boxing.
However, she hasn’t competed in her primary sport, MMA, for over five years.
That is set to change in 2025 though, with VanZant signing for the newly formed MMA promotional outfit Global Fight League (GFL).
Explaining her decision to join the GFL, VanZant added: “I was itching to get back into MMA.
“I felt like it was going to take the right promotion to really excite me again and here comes the GFL.
“They knocked on the door, they gave me their initial sales pitch and I was hooked.
“They are changing the game for MMA fighters. They are really creating an NFL season, but for the fighters.
“On top of that we are getting taken care of more like MMA fighters, we are getting a revenue share, we are getting insurance.
“It is going to be completely different. Say we get injured we are still being able to capitalise and get revenue from the company we are signed with.”
GFL is set to launch in 2025 and will feature six teams from four continents, with venues booked in 10 cities worldwide.
Each team will consist of 20 fighters across ten weight classes.
Multiple former UFC stars including Tyron Woodley, Fabricio Werdum, Anthony Pettis, Luke Rockhold and Alexander Gustafsson have signed for the promotion alongside VanZant.
