Paige VanZant is going into free agency after her next fight.
It’s not a secret, she says. She’s interested in testing the open market and find out what offers she can garner once her contract is up. It’s also not a secret, she says, how much she earns for competing in the Octagon.
Indeed the fact her pay is what it is, and how many other opportunities she feels she can find outside of the UFC and yet continues to fight proves how much she loves her life as a fighter.
“Everyone knows how much I make. So I make $46,000 to fight. $46,000 [to show] and $46,000 [to win]. I’m not going to hide than because everybody knows,” VanZant said, speaking with Ariel Helwani of ESPN. “I can make way more money than that just promoting brands on Instagram. It’s… that should say something. Why would I step away from all the amazing success I had on Dancing with the Stars? I made more money on Dancing with the Stars than I have in my entire UFC career combined. Every fight, every win, every bonus. And it just shows that the money is out there.
“I love fighting, it’s what I love to do. And for this fight I dropped every single sponsor, I haven’t posted anything on Instagram. Nothing matters to me except for this fight. It’s a clean slate for me. I’m not promoting any sponsors. I have nothing. I’m just excited to go out there and prove my value to absolutely everybody, and I think fighting is how I do that.
Heading into the final fight of her current contract, @paigevanzant is looking to prove her value at #UFC251
(via @arielhelwani) pic.twitter.com/t0NnW7ObRl
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) June 24, 2020
VanZant meets Amanda Ribas at UFC 251 on July 11 in Abu Dhabi.
