A UFC fighter who posts nudes on Instagram says she does it because everybody seems to like it
- Paige VanZant and her husband Austin Vanderford like to post nude photographs on Instagram.
- They say their followers like to see the nude photos, too.
- Vanderford said he's often just wandering around the house nude, and thought the rest of the world deserved to see him nude.
- It's not a ploy to get attention, or a social media stunt, VanZant said.
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The UFC fighter Paige VanZant says she posts nudes on Instagram because everybody seems to like it.
VanZant has fought 12 times in MMA, mostly as a strawweight and a flyweight in the world's premier fighting firm UFC.
However, the 26-year-old has become as famous for her social media presence as she was for her combat skills, and even said last year she makes more money on Instagram than she does in the Octagon.
Last month she posted nine nude Instagram photos in a row, following in the footsteps of other fighters like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor who have also posed naked.
Talking to MMA Fighting recently, she said she posted the nudes not for attention but because she thinks it's fun, shows she has a great marriage with her husband and fellow fighter Austin Vanderford, and because — well, hey — their followers enjoy the nudes.
Apparently it all began because they were shooting videos and photographs in the gym, and VanZant asked Vanderford whether he was naked. It turned out he was just "wearing really short shorts," which sparked an idea within VanZant.
"I was like, 'Oh my gosh, I have the best idea ever,' and so we just kind of staged it where I was on the medicine ball and he had our double-edged bag covering his butt. Then it just kind of sparked from there because people liked them so much."
Here's the double-edged bag which covered Vanderford's butt:
Vanderford, a Bellator MMA athlete, said he likes being nude, is often just walking around his house nude, and thought the whole world should see him nude, too.
"I've just never been shy about that," he told MMA Fighting. "I have fun. My wife sees me naked all day everyday anyway, so I thought the rest of the world deserves it, too."
VanZant stressed it's not a social media stunt, or a ploy to get attention.
"We've been married for over a year and a half, and to love your significant other, and have fun with them, and [show] how important it is to just make the most of the relationships that you have.
"We're really just having a really good time and trying to spread love. I'm not embarrassed, I'm not shy about the way we live our life at all," she said.
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