Paige VanZanthas confirmed that she will fight under The Global Fight League.
The Global Fight League has said it will aim to hold its first event in April. It is making serious moves in the sport, signing former UFC champions. Tyron Woodley and Luke Rockhold have already joined their roster. The league aims to follow in the footsteps of the International Fight League, where the best faced each other. VanZant has shown she is willing to fight anyone, anywhere. Her UFC career ended on a poor run of form. She suffered three losses in her final four fights. She left the organization to ink a deal with BKFC. But that did not fare any better.
VanZant’s Career
VanZant lost both of her fights, coming unstuck against Britain Hart and Rachel Ostovich. She left BKFC to sign with wrestling promotion AEW. Paige would then take some time off before signing with Misfits. VanZant would fight against Elle Brooke. It ended in a split draw. While there was talk over a rematch, VanZant chose to sign with Power Slap. She had two fights under the promotion. The first was a win over Christine Wolmarans. She followed that up with a unanimous draw against Chelsea Dodson. But now VanZant will mark her MMA return.
She praised The Global Fight League for giving fighters better paydays, something the UFC has been criticized for. There is also a discussion to be had over not protecting fighters once they retire. But The Global Fight League is aiming to change that. There will be a pension fund for the fighters and the possibility of health insurance.That covers fighters in a sport where careers can change forever. Bellator’s Cris Lencioni is an example of a fighter who suffered cardiac arrest while he was training in 2023. While there was a GoFundMe, not all fighters have that luxury. The Global Fight League will attract more stars with their plans.
VanZant’s Return
“I’m changing gears again. I’m going to shock the world again. … [And] I’m lucky I’m in such a good position that I do get a lot of opportunities that I get to wade through and pick what kind of sparks my interest the most and what’s the most exciting. Yeah, I think that I’m stepping back into the world of MMA. They (GFL) offered me a contract and I said, ‘Yes’. So, I’m going back to MMA, and I think this is the perfect opportunity because I definitely didn’t leave MMA because I wasn’t passionate about it anymore.
“Now there’s this new MMA organization that actually made me really excited to fight for them. They are legit paying their athletes,” she said. “Everyone that I’ve heard that has negotiated their contracts so far is extremely excited and happy.They’re doing a pension fund for the fighters, and I think health insurance. … You just never know when it’s over, so I wanna do everything I can to make the most money while I can, and be able to provide for my family forever,” VanZant said