Ex-UFC star Paige VanZant reveals terrifying 'stalker' turned up at her gym after being released from jail

Former UFC star Paige VanZant has opened up about her disturbing encounter with a stalker.

VanZant won five fights during her career in the UFC, beating the likes of Kailin Curran, Felice Herrig and Rachael Ostovich.

But '12 Gauge' came up short when she stepped up in competition and failed to land a UFC title shot during her time in the promotion.

VanZant, though, was a big name and boasted a huge fanbase.

She trained at Florida's famed gym American Top Team during the prime of her UFC career.

During one training session, however, she noticed a man watching her from a distance.

Speaking on the podcast she shares with husband and Bellator fighter Austin Vanderford, she recalled: "I had a stalker, a big-time stalker,” VanZant said on the podcast she shares with her husband Austin Vanderford, who is a middleweight MMA fighter with Bellator.

"I’m training and I notice this guy watching me the whole time. Instantly, I got the vibe, this guy is f**king weird staring at me the whole time."

Paige VanZant during a UFC fight. Image: Getty

VanZant revealed that the stalker had sent her '10 to 20 messages' on social media and told her he was thinking about her during the entire time he spent in jail.

She added: "I thought he’s a fan, so you try to be nice.

"Of course, people can be nervous. It was the prime of my UFC career, maybe he was just a fan and was nervous.

"He comes over and starts talking to me. He’s like, ‘Hey, how are you? I’m so happy to meet you or I’m so happy that we’re together'.

"I was like, 'Oh, okay'. I was like, 'What’s your name?' He was like, 'It’s blah blah blah, we’ve been talking on Instagram for years'. I was like, 'What?'

"I go in the back [of the gym] and open the messages. He has been messaging every single day. At least 10 to 20 messages for the last four years.

"Every day he would message and message and message about how we’re meant to be together. About how Allah told him we were meant to be together and how he was thinking about me the entire time he was in jail."

Topics: Paige Vanzant, UFC

Nasir Jabbar

Nasir Jabbar is a journalist at SPORTbible. He graduated from Bath Spa University with a BA in Media Communications. He's a combat sport aficionado and has contributed to MMA websites AddictedMMA and CagePotato. Nasir has covered some of the biggest fights, while interviewing the likes of Conor McGregor, Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury and Darren Till. He's also an avid Bristol City fan.

@NasJabbar