Paige VanZant said she would be in a slap fight again, and she meant it.
The Dana White League announced on Wednesday that VanZant will make her second appearance on October 24 at Power Slap 9 in Abu Dhabi where she will face newcomer Chelsea Dodson. The event takes place just two days before UFC 308 at the Etihad Arena, also in Abu Dhabi.
VanZant, once a darling in the UFC, won her Power Slap debut against Christine Wolmarans by unanimous decision after three rounds of defenseless face-slapping in June.
Afterward, VanZant said she believes she has a future in slap fighting.
“I’ve told everyone, and everyone should know, that I’m very strong,” VanZant told reporters after her win. “I’ve gone from UFC to bare-knuckle boxing to boxing to Power Slap. I’ve done pro wrestling. I just want to compete. I’ve had a great time doing it. I think they definitely want me back, so I see a future here. I just want to compete, and I want to live my life “I have fun and show how strong I am.”
VanZant’s win in her debut Power Slap was her first in a combat sports environment since her win over Rachael Ostovich in January 2019 in the first UFC event of the ESPN era. VanZant then lost her final UFC bout against Amanda Ribas in 2020, lost two BKFC bouts against Britain Hart and Ostovich in 2021, and earlier this year fought in a boxing match with influencer Elle Brooke.
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