Paige VanZant is a star inside and outside the octagon.
Sports Illustrated revealed Thursday that VanZant will appear in its 2019 Swimsuit Edition, making her just the second UFC fighter to be featured in the annual issue. Ronda Rousey, a former UFC champion now with WWE, appeared in SI’s 2016 Swimsuit Edition.
Sports Illustrated provided a behind-the-scenes look at VanZant’s shoots Thursday and Friday via social media. It’s safe to say she’s a total knockout — pun very much intended — although we don’t want to tick off her fiancé, fellow MMA star Austin Vanderford.
Here’s a glimpse of VanZant’s sizzling shoot:
VanZant, who turns 25 later this month, returned to the cage in January after a year-long layoff stemming from a broken arm. The fighter known as “12 Gauge” defeated Rachael Ostovich, improving her professional MMA record to 8-4.
