Paige VanZant’s summer may include appearances for both UFC and WWE

After an impressive showing on ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars that earned her a brand new fanbase, Paige VanZant wants to make her future in the fight game clear.

With a small role in Kickboxer: Retaliation, the upcoming sequel to the yet to be released film Kickboxer: Vengeance (the first film in the reboot of the series that was introduced in 1989) many thought the runner-up in last season’s Dancing with the Stars could easily take the safe route by distancing herself from the sport that helped make her a star.

According to FOX Sports, VanZant is likely to appear on a late Summer UFC card. The original plan was the have her come back at UFC 200 but her lengthy stint on DWTS wouldn’t have given her enough time for a proper camp. When she returns it’ll be her first fight since being beaten by Rose Namajunas last December. a defeat that ended her impressive 4-fight win streak. VanZant may also have some other big plans for the Summer that could help bolster her fanbase even more.

According to Dave Meltzer of Wrestling Observer Newsletter, WWE is interested in VanZant for a spot on their 2nd biggest PPV of the year, SummerSlam. With WWE allowing Brock Lesnar to compete at UFC 200 against Mark Hunt, both companies are very much in bed together and it’s a relationship that could be very profitable for everyone involved. When former UFC bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey made an unexpected cameo at WrestleMania 31 last March, the segment made mammoth waves and helped an already established star shine even brighter.

VanZant is currently ranked at #9 in the official UFC strawweight rankings. She dropped one spot this week after the previously unranked Jessica Andrade leapfrogged her following her victory over Jessica Penne at UFC 199 this past Saturday night. Penne dropped four spots to #10. A fight between VanZant and Penne, the former and first ever Invicta FC atomweight champion, would make the most sense for both parties moving forward.

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