Paige VanZant is set to return to Power Slap, and if her debut is anything to go off, her clash against Chelsea Dodson will be a good one.
The mixed martial arts fighter has tried her hand at a number of sports, including boxing and wrestling, and she has earned the praise of UFC legend Conor McGregor on multiple occasions.
VanZant does her second Power Slap outing later this week
McGregor loves VanZantGetty
After her split decision Misfits Boxing bout draw with Elle Brooke in May, the Irishman commented on her Instagram post: “Well in Paige! What a fighter.”
Now, he’s hyped up her Power Slap fight set in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.
“Paige is a f******* legend!” he commented on the Power Slap’s promotional Instagram post.
VanZant has previously credited McGregor for making his UFC career more than just his fights in the octagon, labelling him a ‘genius’.
Ahead of UFC 257 in 2021 and ‘Notorious’ and Dustin Poirier’s clash she said: “I think he’s a genius. I think he was the first one to… Like there were amazing stars of MMA based on their capabilities and the way that they competed in the octagon.
“There was a lot of people who were extremely successful. Georges St-Pierre instantly comes to mind.
“He’s [St-Pierre] a huge recognisable name but there is nobody that has done it like Conor McGregor where he knew how to market himself and it didn’t matter if he was winning or losing. People love him.
“He was able to get paid for who he is and he absolutely deserves everything he’s done and he’s worked extremely hard. It’s totally cool to see somebody like that, like a front runner.”
She left the UFC in 2020, citing the organisation not paying enough as her reason.
‘12 Gauge’ made her Power Slap debut in June, coming up against South African Christine Wolmarans.
The American took the slaps like a champInstagram:@powerslap
VanZant won the fight by unanimous decision.
And her Power Slap bow went viral, with many fans wowed by her ability to take Wolmarans’ blows.
And now she’s making a return at the next edition, Power Slap 9.
The Oregon-born fighter has already landed in Abu Dhabi ahead of her second Power Slap appearance.
Posting a highlight reel of her time in the United Arab Emirates to Instagram on Sunday, VanZant wrote: “What a life.
“First half of an amazing crazy week complete. So much more amazing [things] to come.”
Power Slap is produced and executed by the UFC CEO Dana White, with the businessman founding the organisation in 2022.
