Ex-UFC star Paige VanZant set to make bare-knuckle boxing comeback following lengthy layoff and OnlyFans success
Mia Phillips
Updated on April 07, 2026
Paige VanZant is ready to make her eagerly anticipated return to fighting, according to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship [BKFC] president Dave Feldman.
The former UFC star hasn’t fought since being outpointed by Rachael Ostovich – a fighter she previously beat in MMA’s premier promotion – at BKFC 19 in July 2021.
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VanZant is poised to make her comeback in 2024, but only if she is given several months to prepare for whomever the bare-knuckle boxing leader books her to face.
“We just had a conversation with her management team about two weeks ago on it,” Feldman told MMA Junkie earlier this week.
“They said, ‘Just give us a date, but we want at least three months’ notice because she wants to be in great shape for this one and make sure she can concentrate on her training.’
“So, there is a very, very good probability that you’re going to see Paige VanZant back with BKFC for at least one more fight.”
READ MORE ON PAIGE VANZANT
Some fans had assumed ''PVZ' was done with fighting after she found success away from combat sports by creating an OnlyFans page.
“OnlyFans has definitely been my largest source of income,” VanZant revealed in September.
“I would say combined in my fighting career, I think I’ve made more money in 24 hours on OnlyFans than I have in my entire fighting career.”
The 29-year-old debuted for the UFC in November 2014 when she was a 3-1 prospect with the same dream as many budding MMA fighters who want to become a world champion.
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Six years later, VanZant was a bonified superstar despite leaving Dana White’s league with an unremarkable 5-4 company record following high-profile stoppage defeats to Rose Namajunas and Amanda Ribas.
BKFC subsequently offered her a $400,000 [£316k] per fight deal.
Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant shows gruesome foot injury suffered after bizarre accidentBack-to-back defeats in the promotion, injury issues, and the fact she is among the top 0.01% of earners on OnlyFans made a comeback appear unlikely.
If negotiations go well, VanZant will fight ‘at least one more time’ for BKFC before once again becoming a free agent and exploring the many options available to her in the combat sports space.
