<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="9164010" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="austin-vanderford">Austin Vanderford</keyword> left an <keyword id="6403489" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="mma">MMA</keyword> match Friday looking like he'd been attacked with knives.</li><li>Despite how he looked, the American scored a comfortable, three-round win.</li><li>"I like my fights bloody," he said, with what looked like axe wounds on his head.</li></ul><p>Austin Vanderford finished his <keyword id="6150626" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="bellator-mma">Bellator MMA</keyword> match Friday looking like he'd just been attacked by a knife-wielding thug.</p><p>The American athlete overcame bloody cuts from multiple wounds on his forehead to receive three unanimous scores of 30-27 as cageside judges rewarded the 31-year-old with victory over Fabian Edwards.</p><p>Despite how he looked, the bout itself was not particularly violent with Vanderford asserting an authority on the fight with his wrestling skills.</p><p>With the opening two rounds in the bank, and despite occasionally good takedown defense from Edwards, Vanderford took the fight back to the mat in the third and final round.</p><p>While in bottom position, Edwards scythed strikes and an elbow into Vanderford's skull, opening up those bloody wounds.</p><p>Unperturbed as he bled over his opponent, Vanderford smashed his own shots onto Edwards, before picking up the comfortable win.</p><p><strong>Here's how Vanderford looked when he stood back up (WARNING: GRAPHIC PHOTO):</strong></p><div type="image" title="Austin Vanderford Bellator MMA" height="2567" width="3850" msid="82891345" hostid="261"></div><p style="font-weight: 400;">"I like my fights bloody, whether it's me or my opponent," said Vanderford in a statement sent to Insider.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"I'll get a scab. Hats off to Fabian who cut me up a little bit, but I'm happy to get the win."</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Vanderford continued: "He was a big, strong guy. I started feeling him give me that head and arm choke.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"Unfortunately, I didn't capitalize on it. But I knew what I was going to do. I was going to just grind it out. He's a good striker so I had to be careful but I felt good.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">"Wrestling … it's my heart. I'm ready for the next step."</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">Having advanced his unbeaten pro MMA career to 11 wins (three knockouts, three submissions, and five decisions), it is unclear what is next for the fighter.</p><p style="font-weight: 400;">However, he is not too far away from a shot at the Bellator MMA title - and will likely start campaigning for one to Bellator boss Scott Coker behind the scenes.</p><div type="image" title="Austin Vanderford Bellator MMA" height="1334" width="2000" msid="82891347" hostid="261"></div>

Photos from a Bellator MMA event show an American athlete so bloody it was like he'd been attacked with knives

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="3378097" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="paige-vanzant">Paige VanZant</keyword> and her husband <keyword id="9164010" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="austin-vanderford">Austin Vanderford</keyword> like to post nude photographs on <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword>.</li><li>They say their followers like to see the nude photos, too.</li><li>Vanderford said he's often just wandering around the house nude, and thought the rest of the world deserved to see him nude.</li><li>It's not a ploy to get attention, or a social media stunt, VanZant said.</li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>The <keyword id="992778" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UFC">UFC</keyword> fighter Paige VanZant says she posts nudes on Instagram because everybody seems to like it.</p><p>VanZant has fought 12 times in MMA, mostly as a strawweight and a flyweight in the world's premier fighting firm UFC.</p><p>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 <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/28/paige-vanzant-i-make-way-more-money-on-instagram-than-ufc.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she makes more money on Instagram</a> than she does in the Octagon.</p><p>Last month <a href="https://www.insider.com/paige-vanzant-posed-naked-photos-on-instagram-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">she posted nine nude Instagram photos in a row</a>, following in the footsteps of other fighters like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor who have also posed naked.</p><p><a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/4/30/21243134/paige-vanzant-austin-vanderford-explain-why-they-got-naked-on-instagram" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talking to MMA Fighting</a> 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.</p><p>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.</p><p id="Fldt3Y">"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."</p><p><strong>Here's the double-edged bag which covered Vanderford's butt:</strong></p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-aYmoGHTh3" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Last nights workout ️‍♂️</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by  Paige VanZant (@paigevanzant) on Mar 31, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-03-31T20:57:55+00:00">Mar 31, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p>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.</p><p id="2SPKFL">"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."</p><p>VanZant stressed it's not a social media stunt, or a ploy to get attention.</p><p id="WQr3IQ">"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.</p><p id="w7LWXY">"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.</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/paige-vanzant-posed-naked-photos-on-instagram-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A UFC fighter posted 7 nude Instagrams in a row, following MMA stars like Ronda Rousey and Conor McGregor, who also famously posed naked</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-stoliarenko-and-verzosa-bloodied-like-a-bear-attack-2020-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A women's MMA fight was so bloody it looked like the fighters had been in the cage with a bear</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/video-ufc-joanna-jedrzejczyk-punches-disfigured-slow-mo-2020-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Watch the UFC slo-mo footage showing the punches that disfigured Joanna Jedrzejczyk's face</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-named-in-alleged-sex-tape-extortion-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The UFC president Dana White has been named as the anonymous Las Vegas businessman in a $200,000 sex-tape extortion case</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/ronda-rousey-blasted-the-f-ing-ungrateful-fans-in-wwe-2020-4" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ronda Rousey blasted the 'f---ing ungrateful fans' in WWE after saying 'fake fights' were fun</a></p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/paige-vanzant-posts-nudes-on-instagram-says-everybody-likes-it-2020-5">Insider</a>

A UFC fighter who posts nudes on Instagram says she does it because everybody seems to like it

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11099592" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="aviv-gozali">Aviv Gozali</keyword>, 20, will fight Sean Felton at Bellator 259 on May 21, a source has told Insider.</li><li>He will fight in his sixth pro bout next month on the show's preliminary card, the source said.</li><li>An unbeaten fighter, Gozali is a Bellator record-breaker thanks to an 11-second submission in 2019.</li></ul><p>Record-breaking 20-year-old Aviv Gozali will return to <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/bellator-mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bellator MMA</a> for a lightweight scrap in May, according to an Insider industry source with direct knowledge of the situation.</p><p>Gozali is one of the Hollywood-based combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> promotion's youngest talents, and is rising through its rankings after five submission wins from five outings so far.</p><p>Ranked 10th in the company's 155-pound division, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-aviv-gozali-18-scores-fastest-submission-in-bellator-history-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gozali is renowned for the 11-second heel hook finish</a> he scored against Eduard Muravitskiy at Bellator 225 in 2019.</p><p>The lightning-quick victory sent shockwaves through the <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/mma" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA</a> community and remains the fastest submission in Bellator history.</p><p>Gozali told Insider at the time that <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aviv-gozali-was-always-targeting-bellator-record-2019-8?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T" target="_blank" rel="noopener">he was targeting the record in the locker room before his fight, and it was something he'd been drilling</a> all week.</p><p>To date, all of his finishes have arrived with different jiu jitsu techniques. He's also won with an armbar, a rear-naked choke, an anaconda choke, and a kimura.</p><p>Insider's source told us Gozali will fight for the sixth time at Bellator 259 on May 21 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.</p><p>Gozali will compete in a lightweight bout against Sean Felton in the preliminary section of the show, our source said.</p><p>Women's fighting superstar Cris Cyborg defends her Bellator featherweight championship against Leslie Smith in the main event of the night, which has already been confirmed.</p><p>Other fights also confirmed include Brent Primus competing against Alexander Shabliy, and Austin Vanderford fighting Fabian Edwards on the main card.</p><p>Bellator 259 will be broadcast on premium network Showtime in the US, and the BBC's online iPlayer service in the UK.</p>

Record-breaking 20-year-old Aviv Gozali returns to Bellator MMA for a lightweight scrap in May

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="992778" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UFC">UFC</keyword> star Paige van Zant has used her pre-fight platform ahead of her "<keyword id="9060271" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="fight-island">Fight Island</keyword>" bout against Amanda Ribas to try and bring awareness to fighter pay.</li><li>It is not the first time the American flyweight has said fighters should be paid more, and said last year she gets more money posting sponsored photographs on Instagram than she did her whole career.</li><li>"That's awesome," the UFC president Dana White said at the time. "Listen, if a fighter can make more money doing other things, good for her."</li><li>This week, van Zant said if she and her colleagues are "walking into the cage and bleeding" then they should be paid more than they would working regular jobs.</li></ul><p>FIGHT ISLAND — Fighting in the UFC is "fun" for Paige van Zant but the American flyweight said she could have worked a regular job the last six years, and still gotten paid the same.</p><p>Her comments come at a time when an increasing number of UFC athletes are speaking publicly about remuneration as fighters in the world's premier mixed martial arts organization.</p><p id="1SuFzL">"I feel like more than ever, especially with me hurting myself, that if I'm going to be a professional fighter, I need it to be worth it for me," <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/7/7/21315233/paige-vanzant-loves-ufc-but-i-could-have-just-had-a-regular-job-with-same-pay-over-past-six-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">van Zant told MMA Fighting this week</a>, ahead of her UFC 251 bout against Amanda Ribas on "Fight Island," which is Yas Island in Abu Dhabi.</p><p>Van Zant said the pay has to reflect the injuries she has gotten over the years, "walking into the cage and bleeding and sacrificing."</p><p>She told the MMA website: "I've added up all the money I've made in the UFC over six years, and I could have just had a regular job with the same pay."</p><h2>Van Zant has elevated her profile beyond MMA</h2><p>She finished second place in the 2016 edition of "Dancing with the Stars," published a biography called "Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life" in 2018, and has an additional income stream on Instagram.</p><p>While in quarantine at the UFC hotel in Abu Dhabi, van Zant posted an adorable video in which she danced alongside her partner and fellow fighter Austin Vanderford.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCR0b2rHrpS" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">36 hour quarantine in Vegas, 15 hour flight, 48 hour quarantine in Abu Dhabi. Things get weird... </a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <keyword id="3378097" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="paige-vanzant">Paige VanZant</keyword> (@paigevanzant) on Jul 5, 2020 at 4:14pm PDT<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-07-05T23:14:44+00:00">Jul 5, 2020 at 4:14pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p>The combat <keyword id="6356028" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="sports">sports</keyword> power couple are also known for their nudity, and van Zant once posted nine nude photographs in a row on the app.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B-u0N8Jg1aF" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Paige VanZant (@paigevanzant)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-04-08T19:24:02+00:00">Apr 8, 2020 at 12:24pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote><p>Van Zant even <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ufc-star-paige-vanzant-says-instagram-more-profitable-than-fighting-2019-8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said last year that she earns more money from her Instagram account</a> than she does from fighting.</p><p>The 26-year-old has endorsed a variety of products on her social media channel, and said in 2019 she earned $475,000 from those commercial agreements.</p><p>"All of us should be paid more in general, especially women and especially based on your star power," she said on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE8Jt3Qj9Pc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ariel Helwani's MMA Show</a>.</p><p>"That's awesome," the UFC president Dana White said last year. "Listen, if a fighter can make more money doing other things, good for her."</p><p>Van Zant's recent comments come in the wake of <a href="https://www.insider.com/conor-mcgregor-announced-shock-retirement-moments-after-ufc-250-2020-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disagreements high-profile athletes like Conor McGregor, Jon Jones, and Jorge Masvidal</a> have had with the UFC, though Masvidal appears to have smoothed his relationship with the firm to fight this weekend, even <a href="https://www.espn.com/mma/story/_/id/29417007/jorge-masvidal-signs-new-multi-fight-contract-ahead-ufc-251" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signing a new, multi-fight contract</a>.</p><p>Speaking generally about pay complaints last month, White said that fighters are "independent contractors" and have freedoms in their career choices, <a href="https://www.mmafighting.com/2020/6/5/21281934/dana-white-responds-to-jorge-masvidal-jon-jones-pay-complaints-these-guys-independent-contractors" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MMA Fighting reported</a> at the time.</p><p id="X17uln">"These guys can do whatever they want," said White. "They can say whatever they want. I had a big thing the other day with a reporter about fighter pay. They can come out and tell you what they make any day of the week. They can do any of that stuff. These guys can do whatever they want. They don't have to fight."</p><p><div type="image" title="Dana White and Paige van Zant" height="643" width="857" msid="76895262" hostid="261"></div></p><p>To MMA Fighting this week, van Zant said that she is not critical of the UFC, that she has fun in the company and is grateful for the platform, but that she would like to find her true value in the marketplace when her contract is up after this weekend and she can test free agency.</p><p id="jynePc">"I love the UFC. I love fighting for them," she said. "They've given me so many opportunities but I'm trying to set up a future for myself.</p><p>"I'm not saying I deserve more than any other UFC fighter. I think we all deserve more. We all deserve to be paid more."</p><p>Regardless of whether she engages with a different US-based MMA firm like Bellator MMA or the Professional Fighters League in free agency, van Zant remains hopeful that winning in style at "Fight Island" this weekend can be the driver which gets her the contract she is looking for.</p><p id="KUHQuP">"This is the last fight on my UFC contract and I want to be able to go to the UFC and be like 'Listen, this is how good I am … Ultimately I'm a good fighter.'</p><p>"I think this is a fight if I beat Amanda, it will prove that."</p><p><strong>Read more:</strong></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/jorge-masvidal-is-one-win-from-a-conor-mcgregor-fight-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jorge Masvidal went from streetfighting to 'Fight Island' and is just one win away from immortality and a massive Conor McGregor payday</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/mike-perry-ufc-fighter-seen-punching-an-older-man-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">An American fighter can be seen on video punching an older man to the floor, before shouting racial slurs to those around him</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/max-holloway-says-he-hasnt-sparred-for-ufc-title-fight-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">One of the UFC's best fighters says he didn't spar for his 'Fight Island' title fight and did training sessions over Zoom, alone</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/jorge-masvidal-wore-a-donald-trump-mask-to-fight-island-2020-7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jorge Masvidal arrived at 'Fight Island' wearing a Donald Trump mask and a bright, Miami pink Versace robe</a></p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/dana-white-hasnt-spoken-to-conor-mcgregor-for-weeks-2020-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFC boss Dana White says he hasn't spoken to Conor McGregor for weeks, suggesting the Irishman's shock retirement is real</a></p>

Paige van Zant said fighting in the UFC is fun, but she could have just worked a regular job and gotten paid the same

<p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bf832409e8c535c716ca76b-2400/screenshot%202018-11-09%20at%20151306.png" border="0" alt="Paige VanZant and Charlotte McKinney" data-mce-source="Web Summit"><p class="source"><span>Web Summit</span></p><p class="caption">Charlotte McKinney looks on as Paige VanZant talks about social media at Web Summit.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>People ought to think twice about harassing Paige VanZant online. She punches people for a living. But they do it anyway.</strong></li><li><strong>UFC fighter VanZant and model Charlotte McKinney told us how they deal with creepy or dangerous online fans.</strong></li><li><strong>McKinney has a time-delay tactic to avoid stalkers, who have harassed her family members.</strong></li></ul><p>Sometimes, being "Instagram famous" isn't much fun. Sure, you might have millions of adoring fans. And yes, brands might give you sponsorship money for exposure on your account. But the dark side of social media stardom is the harassment and stalking you get from obsessive fans. Many users say <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/10/instagram-has-massive-harassment-problem/572890/">Instagram has a harassment problem that the company has failed to deal with</a>.</p><p>On the 20,000-seat centre stage at the Web Summit tech conference in Lisbon this year, I participated in a panel about social media with UFC fighter Paige VanZandt and model/actress Charlotte McKinney, who have 1.9 million and 1.4 million Instagram fans, respectively.</p><p>While most fans only want the best for the celebrities they follow, some of them can be creepy and dangerous, McKinney told me.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bf833930591f26844520604-2400/457554629628f5a915645o.jpg" border="0" alt="Paige VanZant" data-mce-source="Web Summit" data-mce-caption="Paige VanZant backstage at Web Summit"><p class="source"><span>Web Summit</span></p><p class="caption">Paige VanZant backstage at Web Summit</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>"I recently had an incident with a fan who had been following me for years and was trying to find me, and he found my parents. They went to my parents work," she said. "So that stood out to me and really frightened me and makes you realise not only are you putting yourself out there but it's your family and friends. I have a niece, I don't like to share her relationship, because it can be really scary. They can really obsess and try and find you."</p><p>"Thank god I wasn't there," she said.</p><p>McKinney has developed an interesting strategy that makes life more difficult for her stalkers: She posts pictures on a time delay, so people can't rush to where she is whenever a new photo appears.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bf833fee4218a4904721878-2400/31933418028ee09256774o.jpg" border="0" alt="Charlotte McKinney waits to go onstage in Lisbon." data-mce-source="Web Summit"><p class="source"><span>Web Summit</span></p><p class="caption">Charlotte McKinney waits to go on stage in Lisbon.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>"It's really important to geotag where you're at <em>once you leave</em>," she said. "Sometimes whether it's a hotel stay, or a vacation, or an event you're working at, you're still giving your location. So for me, if I need to shout-out a hotel or a place I make sure [to do it] <em>when I'm gone</em>."</p><p>"It's hard because they're fans, these are the people who adore you, so you don't want to be mean to them. But there's definitely a barrier," she said.</p><p>Her tactic is wildly different to that used by Alfie Deyes, the Brighton, UK-based YouTube star whose social media life often occurs in real time. He told Business Insider that <a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-business-of-being-youtube-star-alfie-deyes-2016-5">he cannot go to the supermarket or Starbucks without building in a three-hour block of time</a> because his fans will figure out where he is, based on his Twitter, Snapchat or Instagram, and show up for selfies, which he indulges.</p><p></p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5bf834879e8c535cae3503ea-2400/450804982446175319078o.jpg" border="0" alt="VanZant and her husband, MMA fighter Austin Vanderford." data-mce-source="Web Summit"><p class="source"><span>Web Summit</span></p><p class="caption">Paige VanZant and her husband, MMA fighter Austin Vanderford.</p></img></div><p></p></div></div><p>People ought to think twice about harassing VanZant online. She punches people for a living. Her UFC record is 7 wins, 4 losses and zero draws. But people still make insulting comments about her on her Instagram page. "I definitely found it hard at first to have that thick skin and know that there will be those negative comments. I don't need to change myself to fit this image to make everybody happy as long as you're being true to yourself and being true to your brand and your image then you're going to have posiitve feedback. But anytime you have a significant following there are going to be those people."</p><ul class="read-more-links"><li><em><strong>Read more:`</strong>&#xa0;<a href="http://uk.businessinsider.com/the-business-of-being-youtube-star-alfie-deyes-2016-5">The creator of Twitter, Blogger, and Medium has a plan to fix the mess he made of the internet</a></em></li></ul><p>"When I have almost 'stalker-type' fans I'm usually with a bunch of professional fighters, and I know I could beat them up so it makes it a little bit easier," she said. "But at the same time it is scary. There is someone following your every move, when there is someone showing up at the hotel to take pictures with me, you just have to, you have to put safety first and there are those people who will follow you everywhere."</p><p>VanZant also has an interesting personal motto for those days when the insults and barbs get to be too much" "They're still paying attention, and you still matter."</p><p>Watch the whole video of our conversation here:</p><p>&#xa0;</p><div><iframe width="560" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Co-OeMBtsTA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-uses-water-blast-test-space-launch-system-sls-2018-11">Why NASA blasts half a million gallons of water during rocket launches</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/QziFEwdL-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

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