Paige VanZant claims thirst to compete always existed after early exit from UFC - "I had been training for so long"

Paige VanZant explained why she accepted the offer to compete in a boxing match under the Misfits banner.

On Saturday, May 25, Misfits Boxing returns for eight fights inside the NRG Arena in Houston, Texas. In the main event, VanZant, a former UFC fighter, will end a three-year layoff from official combat sports competition when she faces one of the female superstars in influencer boxing, Elle Brooke.

There have been many questions about VanZant's interest in continuing to fight, as she's established an impressive revenue stream through NSFW content. During an interview with Misfits Boxing, '12 Gauge' was asked the following question:

"Why are you doing this?"

VanZant responded by saying:

"Gosh, I felt like when I left the UFC, I'm still wanting to be active, I'm still wanting to fight and wanting to compete. I've had so many offers coming my way from bare-knuckle boxing, from boxing promotions, from this and that. I really just wanted to do what excited me. I had been training for so long, preparing for the next opportunity and Misfits came with an offer and I was like, yes, that's what I want to do."

VanZant has fought and trained with many high-level fighters throughout her career. Later this week, the UFC veteran will face a new challenge, as Brooke isn't a typical combat sports athlete. The 26-year-old has only competed in influencer boxing, where she holds a record of 4-1 and the Misfits 125-pound title.

Watch Paige VanZant's comments about wanting to fight with Misfits below:

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When did Paige VanZant last fight?

Paige VanZant parted ways with the UFC in 2020 after suffering a first-round submission loss against Amanda Ribas. The next stop in her fighting career was with bare-knuckle boxing, where she lost against Britain Hart by unanimous decision in her promotional debut.

'12 Gauge' last fought in July 2021, losing by unanimous decision against fellow UFC veteran Rachael Ostovich. VanZant was scheduled for another BKFC fight against Charisa Sigala in 2022, which ultimately fell through.

On Saturday night, VanZant looks to capitalize on a niche combat sports path in influencer boxing. It'll be intriguing to see if her experience leads to a title-winning performance against Elle Brooke inside the NRG Arena.