Paige VanZant announces she’s out of Power Slap title fight due to injury: “It’s a one-in-a-million, freak, crazy injury”
Paige VanZant will no longer be competing for the Power Slap title.
VanZant was supposed to rematch Mikael Michelle Brown for the first-ever women’s title on June 27 during International Fight Week, but that will no longer happen.
Paige VanZant took to her Instagram to reveal she suffered a serious neck injury that could have made her paralyzed.
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“My upcoming Power Slap match for the title is postponed,” VanZant said. “Unfortunately, I had to pull out. I have a pretty severe neck injury. If it was not such a big deal, I definitely would still compete, especially because I was just really excited. It’s such a big deal and I was so excited for Power Slap to give me the opportunity to fight for a title. I have what is called a spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma. It actually didn’t come from training. It’s a one-in-a-million, freak, crazy injury that happened in my neck.”
Paige VanZant said the neurosurgeon says people get paralyzed from the injury she has. With that, she is taking it seriously and is still getting tests done.
Paige VanZant says doctors are uncertain how the injury happened
Although VanZant has been diagnosed with an injury, she says the doctors still aren’t certain how it happened.
VanZant is continuing to undergo tests to figure out how it happened.
“The next steps, they ordered me a bunch more tests,” VanZant said. “We have to figure out why this happened. Basically, I have a bleed in my spine, we have to figure out where it came from and why this happened because it is extremely rare and typically only happens in high trauma situations like car accidents and obviously I haven’t been in a car accident.”
Although VanZant had to pull out of her fight, she says she’s in high spirits and is hopeful she will be able to compete again soon.
“If it does get bigger, there is a chance I will be paralyzed. That’s just a reality, I’ve come to accept,” VanZant concluded. “I feel really good. I’m in good spirits. It’s concerning and I’m being very careful and obviously I pulled out for a reason. But the way I feel right now, I have a feeling this was just a freak thing. My body’s going to reabsorb the bleed, it’s not going to get worse and I’m going to continue on with my career.”
