On the March 9th episode of Dynamite, Paige VanZant finally signed with AEW.
Throughout history there has been a long list of Mixed Martial Arts stars who have made their way to professional wrestling, and that list just got a little bit longer. Former UFC star Paige VanZant is now All Elite.
VanZant was sat at ringside as Scorpio Sky took on Sammy Guevara for the TNT Championship. Early in the match Guevara missed a 630 splash through a table and looked unable to continue. However, the star battled on. Meanwhile, VanZant who was sat in the crowd repeatedly clashed with Tay Conti who was supporting her boyfriend Guevara.
As the match drew to a close, VanZant jumped the rail and attacked Conti distracting Guevara, this enabled Scorpio Sky to hit the TKO to grab the win.
After the match with Conti laying over a prone Sammy Guevara, Paige VanZant entered the ring to sign her AEW contract literally on top of the pair.
#AndNew!!! Your new TNT Champion is @ScorpioSky! What an incredible night of action here on #AEWDynamite tonight!!! pic.twitter.com/iEFaXB9U35
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) March 10, 2022
VanZant had previously appeared across AEW programming on numerous occasions, most recently attacking Brandi Rhodes. The appearance turned out to be Rhodes’ last before she and her husband Cody left the company.
Paige VanZant has been involved in combat sports for much of her adult life, winning her first amateur MMA contest when she was just 18. The star made her professional debut in 2012, before signing with UFC a year later. Fighting out of Coconut Creek, Florida, VanZant became part of the newly created Strawweight division in late 2013. She made her debut for the promotion in November, defeating Kailin Curran.
After a mixed run at Strawweight, VanZant moved up to the Flyweight division in 2017. However, her career was blighted by a series of injuries, and the star stepped away from MMA in 2020. She holds a professional record of eight wins and five defeats.
It’s official! @paigevanzant is ALL ELITE!#AEWDynamite on @TBSNetworkpic.twitter.com/H6nzlCkBSg
— Tony Khan (@TonyKhan) March 10, 2022
VanZant signed with the Bareknuckle Fighting Championship in the summer of 2020. However, she has lost both of her contests to date.
The former UFC star had previously expressed an interested in entering pro wrestling with WWE.