After more than a year outside the octagon, UFC’s Paige VanZant has hinted she is finally set for a return by teasing fans with a comeback post on Instagram.
VanZant’s last outing was a submission victory over Rachel Ostovich in their flyweight bout at UFC Fight Night 143 in Brooklyn, way back in January of last year.
That snapped a two-fight losing streak for ’12 Gauge,’ but she suffered an arm fracture in training not long after – part of long-running problems stemming from an original break sustained in 2018.
Following surgery, several comeback bouts were mooted and ‘PVZ’ finally appeared set to complete the remaining fight on her current UFC contract when she was slated to face Amanda Ribas in Brasilia in March of this year.
However, VanZant’s injury woes struck again as she was forced out of the fight, with Ribas going on to pick up a dominant victory over replacement Randa Markos.
Now though, VanZant has finally signaled another fight is on the horizon in an Instagram post to her 2.5 million followers on Thursday.
“Coming to an island near you…….,” wrote VanZant, who shared a photo of herself draped in the US flag.
The message will be taken as a clear reference to UFC boss Dana White’s plans to host events on a special ‘Fight Island’ in the coming months – something which PVZ has previously said she is down for.
I’ll fight on an island too!! @danawhite@Mickmaynard2@ufc
There is no official word on who VanZant’s opponent is, although following her victory in March, Ribas said she would still be willing to face the woman she was originally scheduled to fight that night.
“I wish your recovery is really good, because I still want to fight with you,” Ribas said in a message directed to VanZant soon after her bout.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s 115[lbs], or 125[lbs] to recover better. It’s OK. It’s casual.”
VanZant said in April that she is looking to complete the final fight on her current UFC deal, then negotiate another contract while undergoing more surgery to finally fix her injury troubles by having the plate removed from her right arm.
Many MMA fans will be relieved that PVZ – who boasts an 8-4 record – is nearing an octagon return, having grown used to seeing her do most of her fighting in the gym in the past 15 months.
Along with husband and fellow MMA fighter Austin Vanderford, VanZant has also spent the coronavirus lockdown sharing a series of naked pictures which have helped burnish her Instagram numbers – the latest of which came not long before she teased her comeback.
The images, however, have provided ammunition for the likes of UFC heavyweight Curtis Blaydes, who has claimed VanZant remains on the UFC roster purely for her looks rather than any fighting talents.
By finally ending her enforced octagon exile – as she has now hinted – VanZant would at least gain an opportunity to deal another blow to Blaydes and similar detractors.
