Paige VanZant to compete in Power Slap on June 28

Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant signed a deal to compete in Power Slap, the slap-fighting promotion owned by UFC CEO Dana White.

VanZant will make her debut at Power Slap 8 on June 28 in a matchup against Christine Wolmarans. The event is scheduled to take place at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas hotel.

"I just signed a contract, and whether motherf-----s like it or not, I am doing Power Slap," VanZant said on her "A Kickass Love Story" podcast.

VanZant is the first current or former UFC fighter to join Power Slap.

Power Slap - which features two competitors hitting each other with open-handed slaps and using no defense - has faced significant criticism since its launch in early 2023. The organization was licensed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission in 2022.

VanZant fought in the UFC from 2014-20 and became one of the most popular women's fighters on the roster. She then crossed over to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and fought twice in that promotion in 2021, losing to Britain Hart and Rachael Ostovich. VanZant took a near three-year break from combat sports but came back in May for a boxing match against influencer Elle Brooke at a Misfits Boxing event in Houston. The fight was scored a majority draw.