Paige VanZant’s Power Slap debut was victorious on Friday night as the former UFC fighter, boxer, and bare-knuckler defeated Christine Wolmarans unanimously.
VanZant scored a pair of knockdowns en route to the victory.
Here’s a look at all three of VanZant’s slaps. Two resulted in Wolmarans being forced to take a knee, which counts as a legal knockdown in Power Slap, or touching the podium to prevent herself from falling.
In the video below, you can see one of the three slaps VanZant took. None of them had much of an effect on the 30-year-old.
VanZant is now the first mildly well-known combat sports athlete to jump to Power Slap. UFC and Power Slap CEO Dana White believes VanZant is just the first in a line of combat sports athletes who will follow her example.
When asked why she chose this route, VanZant said, “Because I’m a woman that does whatever the #### I want, and right now, I want to do Power Slap.”
VanZant also made it clear she wants to return to boxing before the end of the year, but she hasn’t commented about a desire to fight as a mixed martial artist again. VanZant once looked like a potential superstar with the UFC.
She kicked off her with a win over Kailin Curran in November 2022 at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. Swanson. VanZant’s aggressive fighting style and movie-star looks made her a fan favorite.
She defeated Curran via third-round TKO to announce her presence with the UFC. The win earned her a performance bonus and a growing legion of fans. After her debut, VanZant defeated Felice Herrig via unanimous decision in April 2015 and scored a submission victory over Alex Chambers via armbar later in the year.
As the level of competition escalated, things got more challenging for VanZant. She lost her next fight against future Hall-of-Famer, Rose Namajunas in December 2015.
Though she rebounded with this spectacular head-kick KO win over Bec Rawlings in August 2016, Van Zant would lose three of her last four fights with the UFC before leaving the organization in 2020.
VanZant took up the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in 2020 and has established herself as a successful content creator on OnlyFans to round out a diverse portfolio and multiple earning platforms.
We’ll see if VanZant makes her way back on the Power Slap stage or if she tries a different combat sport in her next effort.
Wolmarans’ Power Slap career has been dubiously distinct. She was a part of the first-ever female Power Slap event, in which she was savagely knocked out by one of the sport’s current stars, Sheena Bathory.
Now Wolmarans is the woman who stepped up to take the loss to VanZant in her Power Slap debut. While many fans of the sport may remember Wolmarans’ name, it’ll be for at least two painful reasons.
Details on the next Power Slap event haven’t been shared, but you can follow the action, athletes and even apply to become a slapper on the promotion’s website.
