Ex-UFC pin-up VanZant plans to ‘take over’ All Elite Wrestling

Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant has said she wanted to give the world "one more reason to hate on me" after leaving the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) to join All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Better known for her risque social media posts, VanZant won five of her nine UFC fights between 2014 and 2020 before joining the notoriously brutal BKFC in August 2020.

The American showed plenty of steel on the way to losing both of her fights with the promotion via decision.

VanZant lost to ex-boxer Britain Hart on her BKFC debut in February 2021, then suffered defeat against Rachael Ostovich – who she beat in the UFC in 2019 – four months later.

With more than three million followers on Instagram, VanZant is a huge marketing draw for any fighting promotion.

The flyweight reportedly received more than $1 million to join BKFC, having suggested that she earned more through her concurrent modeling and endorsements than she did with the UFC.

She made appearances on AEW shows in 2021 and confirmed her contract with the company during a televised event on March 9.

AEW co-owner Tony Khan shared a message from the organization which said: "It’s official. Paige VanZant is All Elite."

VanZant said on Twitter: "Wanted to give the world one more reason to hate on me. PVZ taking over."

The 27-year-old emphasized on Instagram that she was "here to take over" before returning to more familiar form, describing herself as a "trouble maker" and "good girl gone bad" while wearing revealing outfits.

Photogenic VanZant runs a subscription site allowing fans to pay to access exclusive content including daring photoshoots.

There had been speculation that VanZant could join Bellator MMA, with whom her husband, Austin Vanderford, had been considered a title contender.

Vanderford suffered a brutal knockout in his latest Bellator bout, when he lasted less than a round against Gegard Mousasi in Dublin last month.