Paige VanZant

Paige VanZant

Born in Dundee, Oregon, on March 26, 1994, Paige VanZant first gained public attention not as an adult content creator but as a professional mixed martial artist competing at the highest levels of combat sports. Her transition into adult modeling came after more than a decade in the fight world, making her one of the more unusual crossover figures in the space.

Early Life and Path to Fighting

Raised in nearby Dayton, Oregon, Paige grew up in a family that owned a dance studio. She trained in ballet, jazz, and hip hop for over 13 years. After her family relocated to Sparks, Nevada, she discovered martial arts at a gym run by UFC veteran Ken Shamrock. She legally changed her surname from Sletten to VanZant after experiencing persistent bullying in high school. Her father gave her the nickname "12 Gauge" due to her love of hunting and shooting.

MMA Career

Paige made her professional MMA debut on June 30, 2012, at age 18, winning by split decision. After a loss at Invicta FC 4 in January 2013, she was signed by the UFC in December 2013 for its new strawweight division. Her UFC debut came in November 2014 against Kailin Curran, a TKO victory that earned Fight of the Night honors. She was just 20 years old.

Her UFC run included notable wins over Felice Herrig, Alex Chambers, and Bec Rawlings, the latter finished with a flying head kick that earned Performance of the Night. She also suffered losses to Rose Namajunas, Michelle Waterson, and Jessica Rose-Clark, the last of which saw her break her arm mid-fight. Recurring arm fractures plagued the later portion of her career. Her final UFC bout was a submission loss to Amanda Ribas at UFC 251 in July 2020.

In August 2020, Paige signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. She went 0-2 in the promotion, losing to Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich.

Beyond the Cage

Paige competed on season 22 of Dancing with the Stars, appeared as a celebrity contestant on Chopped (which she won), and made professional wrestling appearances on AEW programming in 2021. She modeled for Nike and Columbia Sportswear earlier in her career. She married Austin Vanderford, a professional MMA fighter and two-time NAIA All-American wrestler, in September 2018.

Adult Content Career

Paige launched a paid content page and began working as an adult model, leveraging the audience she built through combat sports and social media. As a blonde, athletic figure with a background in mainstream sports, she occupies a distinct niche among popular models. She stands 5 feet 4 inches tall with blue eyes and an athletic build. She has noted publicly that she had breast augmentation in 2018. She has various tattoos and piercings including both nipples and her left nostril.