'The first of many'... Paige VanZant is plotting full boxing crossover after Elle Brooke fight (2024)

Paige VanZant is one of the most recognisable names in women’s MMA, but it appears that her focus is on the boxing ring for now.

The former UFC strawweight makes her debut under the Misfits Boxing banner on tomorrow night’s historic X-Series 15 card. She faces Elle Brooke in the crossover promotion’s first ever female headliner, with the Brit’s 125lb belt on the line.

And it seems that there is more boxing in VanZant’s future, with the American announcing that she has signed a multi-fight deal with Misfits. She is unclear on who she may face next, but a number of major names have been mooted should she get the job done against Brooke.

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Paige VanZant confirms she will box again after Elle Brooke fight

The ex-UFC contender has been out of the fight game for almost three years since her last BKFC defeat to Rachael Ostovich in July of 2021. She had a bout scheduled the following year that was twice cancelled, and has since veered into podcasting and professional wrestling.

But now that a deal has been done with Misfits, it seems she is going to be spending more time in the ring, starting on Saturday night against controversial Tik Tok star Brooke. There is an expectation with fans that she may outclass her British rival, although bookies have the fight almost dead even.

“Every single fight I’ve had there’s some new element of whatever the media wants to make the narrative,” she explained on The MMA Hour this week. “It’s just another narrative that I’m going into it with.

“For me, I’m going into this not like I’m fighting an influencer but like I’m fighting a professional boxer. This is the first of many, I’m training to go in there and knock somebody out and it’s no different to fighting Felice Herrig.”

Paige VanZant details intensive training for boxing debut

Despite the seemingly lesser challenge of a social media star who began boxing just over two years ago, VanZant is treating this fight as though it’s her toughest UFC test. She noted that Herrig was a tremendously tough outing, but claims she treats every fight as if she’s climbing that mountain again.

“When I fought somebody like her she was my ‘goliath’, right?” VanZant continued. “She was somebody I’d looked up to for so long, I knew how talented she was and how tough the fight would be.

“I put the same energy into fighting someone like her as I do into fighting somebody like Elle. It’s the same dedication, the same preparation and I’m going out there to fight a champion, and then I’ll take her belt home.

“She’s had a few fights, she’s had some good fights the last few years and honestly she’s tough. I think that’s what excited me the most about this matchup, we have the opportunity like every one of my fights to have something that isn’t boring.

“I come with heat, I’m definitely an aggressive fighter so I know it’s going to be really exciting. I saw that in some of her fights, she gets hit and doesn’t shy away so we’re going to really put on a show for Misfits.”

Paige VanZant could take ‘traditional’ boxing route after Misfits debut

Brooke has been open over the years about her affinity for the more standard route of chasing Area titles and moving her way through the levels to competing for a world level belt. And VanZant feels she could do something similar, if there is enough options after she makes her debut.

“Going into this I didn’t see this as just fighting an influencer,” she insisted. “Misfits called and said ‘here’s an opponent, do you want to fight?’ I said yeah and honestly this is the beginning of my boxing career because this is my first professional boxing match.

“Obviously I’ve signed a multi-fight contract and yeah, I turned 30 a couple of months ago. Although I’ve had a very long career, I started extremely young and it’s nowhere near over. This feels to me like the beginning of a new era and it’s like day, Im starting over and it’s very exciting.”

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