Paige VanZant has launched her own fan site having been bombarded by multiple requests for more content featuring her.
The move from the popular fighter, who left UFC for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship last year, comes months after she expressed shock at people sending her money in the hope of receiving nude photos.
The former UFC flyweight spent part of the 2020 lockdown posting a few racy, but light hearted photo shoots with husband Austin Vanderford on her Instagram page, which has 2.7 million followers.
Despite signing for the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, VanZant is regularly asked by sections of her 2.7 million Instagram followers if she will be pursuing a career in modelling.
In October she said: "Austin and I did a fan question [session] where you guys could write in," she explained, reacting with apparent surprise to the response she had received.
"There were 200 questions and about 20 of them were 'hey, why don't you make an OnlyFans?'
"Basically, I said, 'I'm not going to make an OnlyFans but if you really want to send me money and you appreciate the things I post on Instagram, you can VenMo me.
"I was like, 'go ahead and send me money so you can show me appreciation'.
"I did have a lot of people Venmo me, which I did not expect to happen.
"Five or ten people sent me money and thought that they would be receiving an explicit picture.
"That was absolutely not what was going to happen. I'm sorry for the confusion and for anybody who sent me money, hoping to get nudes or anything like that.
"The point is, I'm not doing an OnlyFans because I'm not going to do that kind of stuff."
While contracted to the UFC, she admitted she earned more in her career from posting pictures than throwing punches, but is adamant she will not join the site, which allows content creators to earn money from subscribers.
Although it is popular with sex workers, others such as musicians, fitness experts and chefs also earn a living on there.
VanZant was cut from the UFC in July after her defeat to Amanda Ribas on Fight Island, but revealed she had donated the money she earned from fans to animal charities in Florida, adding it was initially a 'dumb joke' stressing her words were in no way a judgement on people who use the page.
Now, though, VanZant decided it's the perfect time to launch her own site, which allows her to create her own site with her own personal domain to give fans some exclusive content.
“Every time I check my social media, my fans are always asking me for more. By launching PaigeFanZant.com with FanTime, it makes it easier for followers to find the exclusive content I’ll be putting out” she said.
“Be sure to subscribe in the lead up to my next fight. I’ll be giving an inside look at my training and recovery that you won’t find anywhere else!”
Her debut, though, at Knucklemania, ended in defeat to Britain Hart despite knocking her opponent's tooth out in their Bare Knuckle Boxing match.
All three scored it 49-46 as ’12 Gauge’ was left with nasty swelling under her left eye and took to Instagram to confirm she was alright after the fight, despite refusing to do any interviews in the ring afterwards.
“Humble in victory,” she wrote. “Humble in defeat.”
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