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Paige VanZant Takes a Shot at Mark Zuckerberg’s MMA Cage Fight After Instagram’s Controversial Move Against Ex-UFC Star

Published 12/13/2023, 1:32 AM EST

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Former UFC star, Paige VanZant has recently slammed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram for their actions against her videos. VanZant claimed that Instagram took down a video of her demonstrating a kicking technique due to their guidelines against “violence” on the platform. In the caption for her post, she pointed out that Mark Zuckerberg also shares his MMA training on the platform, as well!

Fans of combat sports were stunned when it was revealed that Zuckerberg has been dedicating his time to training in MMA. Zuckerberg even won an amateur BJJ tournament. There was even a proposed clash between him and Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, which caused an even bigger frenzy on the internet. But the ‘super fight’ fell through as Zuckerberg was seemingly more serious about it than Musk. This makes VanZant’s comments all the more interesting as the MMA-loving billionaire’s social media platform has penalized her for ‘violence.’ Let’s look at the details.

Paige VanZant is unhappy with Mark Zuckerberg and Instagram  

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Mark Zuckerberg is an avid fan of the sport of mixed martial arts. The tech mogul took up MMA as a hobby during the pandemic. Fans also spotted him cheering his favorite fighters on at multiple UFC live events. Fighters like Israel Adesanya and Alexander Volkanovski recently also shared social media posts of their training with Zuckerberg in his purpose-built MMA gym.

However, according to Paige VanZant, his love for MMA seems to not have translated to his social media platforms. In a now-removed post on Instagram, Vanzant had shared a video of her demonstrating a kick. She captioned the post, “Posted this three years ago and Instagram took it down today because it promotes “violence”…… isn’t your main owner training for an MMA fight!??”

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The MMA fight VanZant referred to was confirmed in a recent statement by Zuckerberg when he suffered from a knee injury. He shared an update on social media where he stated that he tore his ACL while sparring. Zuckerberg claimed that he was training for a “competitive MMA fight” scheduled for next year which has been delayed due to his surgery and recovery.

In conclusion, Paige VanZant’s critique of Instagram’s content moderation policies sheds light on a fascinating paradox within the realm of social media.  The irony deepens as VanZant points out Zuckerberg’s own MMA pursuits showcased on Instagram, questioning the platform’s consistency in applying guidelines.

Despite her critiques of social media platforms, VanZant also recently revealed that she earned more money through her internet presence than she ever did as a fighter!

VanZant makes stunning revelation about fight earnings

Paige VanZant’s MMA journey wasn’t a ticket to riches. Once seen as a rising UFC star, VanZant’s cage prowess, self-promotion, and appeal hit a hurdle. Injuries and training struggles followed, leading to her UFC release in 2020. Post-UFC, she briefly embraced bare-knuckle boxing, but her cash cow turned out to be an unexpected one.

In a Barstool Sports interview, VanZant spilled the beans on her post-UFC life. Beyond a lucrative stint in bare-knuckle boxing, her financial jackpot emerged from an unexpected arena – OnlyFans.

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Admitting the shift, VanZant confessed, “But yes, OnlyFans has definitely been my largest source of income.” Astonishingly, she claims to have pocketed more in 24 hours on OnlyFans than her entire fighting career combined!

VanZant’s tale echoes the harsh reality of MMA’s financial landscape, where unexpected turns lead to unconventional triumphs. And her comments on social media guidelines raise an intriguing question about the policies of powerful platforms.

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Do you agree with Paige VanZant’s claims that Instagram should have more consistent enforcement of its guidelines? Why or why not? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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Written by:

Dushyant Patni

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I am Dushyant Patni, a UFC writer at EssentiallySports. My passion for Mixed Martial Arts started because my father used to be a boxer and a martial arts fanatic. It passed down to me as my first pair of boxing gloves were his old ones! Prior to joining EssentiallySports, I honed my writing and editing skills across various organizations as a writer and an editor.
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Edited by:

Yeswanth Praveen