Paige VanZant issues statement after foul move costs sophomore Power Slap outing: "That was my fault"
Paige VanZant issued a statement following her Power Slap 9 outing and addressed the foul that cost her the win. VanZant admitted that she made a mistake during the bout and iterated that she had a lot to learn.
VanZant went up against ex-UFC star John Dodson's wife, Chelsea Dodson, in the latest edition of Power Slap in her sophomore appearence for the slap-fighting promotion. VanZant competed against Christine Wolmarans at Power Slap 8 in June. '12 Gauge' beat Wolmarans via unanimous decision.
While many expected VanZant to beat Dodson, the former UFC and BKFC star had to settle for a majority draw result, thanks to fouls that cost her crucial points on the scoreboard. While VanZant won the first and third rounds, she was penalized for clubbing in the second screen.
Addressing her performance in a video posted on Instagram stories, VanZant owned her blunder and vowed to come back stronger:
"Well, guys, Power Slap is over. Went home with the draw, I accidentally clubbed. That was my fault. Still learning, I was a little bit too close with one of my shots. Just gotta get my distance right for the next one, but Power Slap, you're gonna see me again."
In a follow-up Instagram story, VanZant posted a post-fight selfie and confirmed her intentions to compete in Power Slap again. She wrote:
"See you again soon."
Check out Paige Vanzant's Instagram story below:
Paige VanZant opens up about a potential MMA return in the future
Paige VanZant shared her thoughts on a potential return to MMA and opened up about the toll that combat sports has taken on her body. While VanZant hasn't fully dismissed making a comeback to the cage, she's hesitant to put herself through all that again.
During an interview with MMA Junkie Radio, VanZant revealed the extent of her injuries and explained why she was wary of stepping into the cage again. She said:
“I don’t ever like to say I’m closing the door 100 percent, but I do see it would be hard for me to go back into MMA, not because I don’t love it or not because I don’t have a passion for it still, but like I said, I broke my arm five times in my life and four times in basically two years of competing... I don’t know if I can push through that again. It was a really, really rough few years.” [H/t: MMA Junkie]