Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant continues to make her mark in slap fighting, achieving her latest victory at Power Slap 12 on Friday.
Following a draw in her previous match due to a foul, the 30-year-old veteran competed at a more comfortable 125-pound weight. She also switched her striking hand, moving from her left to her right. Although this change didn’t result in a knockout, VanZant secured a unanimous decision win over Mikael-Michelle Brown. All three judges scored the bout 30-27 in her favor.
In her post-fight comments, VanZant appealed to Power Slap’s creator, Dana White, to introduce women’s championship titles. She expressed her hope to be the first to compete for a title in her next appearance.
“It feels incredible,” VanZant said about her win. “The victory feels great. I switched to my right hand, but I think I’ll go back to my left. My left hand is more powerful. I’m going back to the left for the next one.”
Addressing Dana White directly, she stated, “Hey Dana, where’s that 125-pound belt? Put me on the next card. Let’s get some women’s belts happening. We’re here to stay. We’re here to knock people out and slap people all day.”
Given the unpredictable nature of slap fighting, VanZant’s victory came from delivering more impactful blows than her opponent, even though neither fighter was knocked down by the strikes.
VanZant clearly landed the more forceful slaps. However, as she mentioned after the fight, she felt her right hand didn’t deliver as much power as she expected. Despite this, VanZant demonstrated superior accuracy and power, while Brown struggled to effectively connect with her strikes.
This performance was enough for VanZant to secure the win and improve her Power Slap record to 2 wins, 0 losses, and 1 draw.
With opportunities in Power Slap, BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship), and her recent signing with GFL (Gamebred Fighting Championship), VanZant has a busy combat sports schedule. Adding to her and her family’s success, her husband, Austin Vanderford, recently signed with the UFC and won his debut fight on short notice at UFC Seattle.
