Paige VanZant ahead of Power Slap debut: 'I am a gangster'

Former UFC women’s flyweight Paige VanZant will make her Power Slap debut against Christine Wolmarans on Friday at the Colbalt Ballroom inside Fontainebleau Las Vegas.  

Since leaving the UFC in 2020, VanZant has fought in bare-knuckle boxing, was briefly a professional wrestler, and made her boxing debut earlier this year.  Now she can add Power Slap to her resume and she considers herself ‘a gangster’ for doing it.  

“I got a call if I’d do Power Slap.  I said, ‘absolutely,’ and that was it.  Signed the contract and here I am here to do Power Slap,” VanZant told the media on Wednesday.  “I think it’s exciting for me because, like, listen, I am a gangster.  Whether people want to admit it or not.  I am here to slap somebody.  It doesn’t matter what organization, what combat sport.  I’m here to take over and have some fun.”  

Before getting the phone call with an offer, VanZant had considered doing Power Slap.  On Friday, she’ll get the opportunity.  

“It was a conversation that we had in the gym.  Everybody watches Power Slap.  They’ve taken over.  Everybody knows what it is.  Everybody’s seen the highlight videos and a lot of people are like, ‘No.  I would never do that,’ or they have mixed emotions about it all,” VanZant said.  “For me, I was like, ‘Yeah, I’d do that.’  Of course.  I look back at my UFC career, my bare-knuckle boxing career, everything that I’ve done.  You can’t take away how tough I am.  This is like the ultimate test of toughness.  You stand there and you’ve got to have the balls to get hit.”

VanZant made her professional boxing debut in Misfits Boxing in May against English Onlyfans model Elle Brooke.  The bout ended in a split draw and VanZant expects to rematch Booke later this year.  She also left the door open to return to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, but right now she wants to be in Power Slap.  

“I am a woman who does whatever the f**k I want and right now I want to do Power Slap,” she said.