Who is Paige VanZant?
Paige VanZant, also famously known as Paige Michelle Sletten, is a blend of various professions: she is an MMA star, a boxer, and a possible wrestler too. She was born in Dundee on March 26, 1994, and has been in the news for the aggressive fighting style she has picked up with the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Paige’s life can be perceived as a story full of struggles that never failed to shape her into the fighter that she has turned out to be. From the quiet girl in school who was the target of bullying, to now a household name in every American household, her life story oozes inspiration. Steve and Rachel Van Zant are her parents who ran their very own dancing studio, providing an artistic aspect to her life in the process of planting a love of movement.
Bio Wiki
Standing at a height of 5’4, Paige VanZant, coined the name 12 Gauge for herself, is actively participating in flyweight competitions. At age 18, she began practicing martial arts and went professional 4 years later on June 30th as her aggressive style along with adaptable grappling made her a tough competitor in all dynamism of martial arts.
Category | Details |
---|---|
Full Name | Paige Michelle VanZant (née Sletten, married name Vanderford) |
Date of Birth | March 26, 1994 |
Birthplace | Dundee, Oregon, U.S. |
Height | 5 feet 4 inches (163 cm) |
Weight | 125 pounds (57 kg) |
Reach | 65 inches (165 cm) |
Division | Strawweight (2012-2017), Flyweight (2017-present) |
Nickname | 12 Gauge |
Martial Arts | Mixed Martial Artist, Bare Knuckle Boxer, Professional Wrestler |
Other Roles | Author, Model, OnlyFans Content Creator, TV Personality |
@paigevanzant |
Early Life and Background
Paige VanZant was surrounded by dancing as her parents had a studio. She trained regularly in ballet, jazz and hip hop dancing for more than 13 years. As she went into adolescence, Paige VanZant was bullied which made her change her surname from Sletten to VanZant. Taking time to relocate, she went to Sparks, Nevada and began practicing boxing and different martial arts forms.

Transition to Martial Arts
Seeking a change in how she was being treated, Paige VanZant took up martial arts that helped her defend herself against bullies. She trained hard and loved getting better and better at combat sports. With dedicated veterans in her corner and Paige’s constant network she progressed very fast in her career.
Her professional MMA debut signified the beginning of her great career in mixed martial arts. Paige VanZant was known and achieved respect in the UFC competition as one of its strawweight or flyweight contestants. Her combat energy and aggression appealed to fans and put her in the top group of fighters worldwide.
Career Highlights and Achievements
Within her career, Paige VanZant has achieved many things worthy of note. She boasts a number of firsts, including a notable defeat of Kailin Curran in 2014 which won her a Fight of the Night bonus as well as a knockout switch kick against Bec Rawlings in her debut MMA match in 2016.
In addition to her fights in the octagon, Paige VanZant has also taken part in bare-knuckle boxing and professional wrestling. She started competing with the BKFC, or Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, in 2020. Her desire to switch it up and fight tough opponents has only made her a more valuable competitor.
Boyfriend and Personal Life
Paige VanZant wed her husband Austin Vanderford, who fights in MMA, in September 2018. Since then, the two of them have been tagged as quite the couple in the combat sporting world. Austin is a welterweight and has been very supportive of Paige VanZant both in and out of action. They also take to social media platforms to display aspects of their life, including training activities, travel, or fun activities.
What creates their bond together is mutual respect for each other, love and the two of them share a common passion for martial arts. Career wise they tackle the ups and downs together, incentivizing each other to perform at the highest level possible.

Net Worth
Paige VanZant net worth as of 2024 is approximately $ 2 million. This amount began accumulating when she became an MMA athlete, and then continued to increase due to numerous endorsements and her presence on OnlyFans. Currently, Paige VanZant has many endorsement deals with companies such as Reebok, Nike, Columbia Sportswear and many more that rely on her fame to market their products.
Beyond her modeling work, she also has an account on the subscription-based service where she posts adult-exclusive content for her paying subscribers. In this way, she has been able to relate to her fans better and have several streams of income.
Paige VanZant Instagram
Besides Onlyfans, Paige VanZant is also quite active on Instagram and posts the latest news from her life, including workouts, training, or ongoing projects. Enjoying a following of about 3.2 million, she updates her admirers on daily aspects, fitness lifestyle, family pictures, and her working activities. Her feed includes a variety of items, from her workouts to advertisements and events she turned up for.
She mentions that social networks helped promote her channel, which ultimately helped her achieve success. In most of her videos, she not only gets people’s attention but brings a unique positive and motivational message to her fans from all women around the world.
Parents and Early Influences
Paige’s parents, Steve and Rachel VanZant, are the owners of a dance studio in the state of Oregon. Daily practice of ballet, jazz, and hip hop dancing for more than 13 years came as second nature to Paige. Her parents made sure that her early life and interests were well catered to and this shaped her in the right way.
In particular, the blade and diligence that was required from dancing was extremely beneficial in her future endeavors in martial arts. Both her parents’ faith and support have been the most important factors in her way.

Education and Personal Growth
She was a bright student and managed to complete her GED program at the age of 16. From a young age, she has been eager to learn and develop her personality, and this hasn’t diminished at all. Even with everything going around, she did not give up on education and considered it a building block for her future.
Not all of her learning is within the intellectual realms, however. In their quest for excellence, effectiveness and efficiency, her role models are always on the lookout for new skills, techniques, or ways to advance their careers.
Future Plans
Recently it has been reported that Paige VanZant has set sights on further developing her career in bare-knuckle boxing and possibly making a comeback in MMA as well. Growing her brand and expanding her content advocacy on platforms like OnlyFans is also pinned as an objective to be achieved by the athlete. In the future, she sees herself not only reaching athletic heights but also conquering new markets and the media.
Looking into the future, Paige is still ready to do her best and try to go beyond the known boundaries. These qualities also make it easier for her to succeed in any of the paths she chooses to follow.
Hobbies and Personal Interests
When outside work, Paige VanZant tries to spend time outdoors and loves riding dirt bikes or fishing. She is naturally an active person looking for adventures and enjoys doing things that are different and close to nature. Such activities help in taking the edge off her intense training and competitions.
Paige VanZant loves the outdoor life in nature and at the same time is not afraid to take new challenges which she embraces and meets with gusto. Her hobbies are a strong illustration of a multi-faceted ‘Paige’ who can love life and enjoys every moment of it.
Conclusion
It is undeniable that Paige VanZant is an authentic role model as she believes one can achieve success through discipline and relentless work. From being bullied as a kid to becoming an obsessed athlete and a beloved content creator, there is a lot of hard work behind her success. There are many people for whom Paige VanZant has become a role model due to her success and involvement in martial arts, entertainment and business, and social media presence.
It is a perfect example of how struggles can be dealt with and aspirations can be fulfilled with the right mentality and the will to fight. Fans around the globe remain entranced by Paige VanZant’s story as well as her career into the world of MMA and her history beyond any fighting promotion.