Paige VanZant, a former UFC fighter, has spoken out about the series of nude images she and her husband, another fighter Austin Vanderford, posed for during the peak of coronavirus lockdowns in 2020.
The pair’s sly use of VanZant’s Instagram account during the coronavirus outbreak, which forced much of the world back into their homes, drew worldwide attention, especially since most sporting leagues were suspended.
While all of the world’s main athletic codes have found ways to temporarily resume play since the pandemic began, VanZant and her spouse are still dealing with their newfound fame.
In an interview with MMA outlet Morning Kombat, VanZant explained that their cheeky photographs arose primarily from boredom and a desire to do something enjoyable amid a period of uncertainty.
“That was not planned at all. “It was quarantine, and we stayed at home for two weeks straight, which is when this all started,” she explained.
“And we’re like, ‘All right, we’re not leaving our house’, and, as husbands and wives do, we’re just naked and walking around our house, doing our thing.”
With gyms and practice facilities closing, the couple was unable to maintain their previous training routines, and VanZant said it was Vanderford who inspired their newfound nudist habit.
Paige VanZant opens up about nude Instagram pics
While Vanderford initiated their new activity, VanZant persuaded her spouse to make their enjoyment public.
“Being an athlete, he’s crazy, he’s like, ‘I’m going to go do pull-ups’, and I go out to the garage, and he’s doing pull-ups like butt-naked, and I was like, ‘I have an idea’,” she told me.
“I had to persuade him to keep doing the naked shots, but it was just for fun; it was such a dark period at the beginning of all this coronavirus, pandemic, and trying to have fun.
“We’re married, like to be naked, I guess.”
The couple has been discussing the nude photographs, with Vanderford being asked about them many weeks ago during an appearance on the MMA Junkie podcast.
“We had fun especially in quarantine doing the nude photos and stuff,” he added.
“It was just enjoyable for us to do and something we wanted to do, so we did it. It was not in response to any specific request.
“We just came up one day, and honestly, I think I was running around the house naked, I was out doing pull-ups or something, and the idea kind of sparked, and we did it.”