Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) is set to go down this Friday night (July 23, 2021) with the “VanZant vs. Ostovich” pay-per-view (PPV) card going down on FITE TV. The event will feature a rematch between former UFC strawweight combatants Paige VanZant and Rachael Ostovich.
Before the two rivals square off again in a bareknuckle brawl, let’s dive in and dissect the main event as well as all of the main card action, which features the return of Britain Hart taking on Jenny Savage.
Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich
VanZant and Ostovich both had up-and-down careers inside the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Octagon, with VanZant starting her run red hot before fizzling out in 2020, losing three of her last four. As for Ostovich, she never really garnered much momentum and could never find her groove to rack up enough consecutive wins to get her anywhere. The two first crossed paths in 2019 which saw “12 Gauge” earn a submission (armbar) victory over the Hawaiian-born fighter in the second round. That was VanZant’s lone win inside the Octagon in last four attempts. As for Ostovich, she hasn’t tasted victory in four years, losing her last three fights under the UFC banner.
But it’s a new day for both ladies because Ostovich will try her hand at bareknuckle boxing for the first time in hopes of a fresh start to her combat career after being released by UFC in Dec. 2020, while VanZant is still looking for her first win under the BKFC banner. Paige came up short in her BKFC debut in February of this year, losing to Britain Hart via unanimous decision. But don’t fret, “12 Gauge” should get back in the winner’s podium in this fight. When it comes down to the details, VanZant is simply a better fighter than Ostovich in all facets of the fight game though she will be relegated to using only her fists in the rematch. Furthermore, she already has one bareknuckle fight under her belt, so those jitters don’t exist for her. As for Ostovich, she has yet to take part in such fight — at least professionally…and that we know of — so it will be something new for her face to feel. With the added confidence that VanZant has to top it off to superior striking technique, she should be able to get the job done here.
Arnold Adams vs. Michael Terrill
Former BKFC Heavyweight champion Arnold Adams will return to action as he looks to jumpstart his road back to gold. A veteran of the BKFC promotion, Adams is 4-1 with the company and is coming off a stellar knockout win over Bobo O’Bannon at BKFC 16. He will be taking on England’s own bareknuckle star Michael Terrill, who has yet to taste defeat in these types of bouts. This will be Terrill’s first fight in three years since he is coming back from retirement. Terrill is a former kickboxer with crisp striking and power for days. Though his will be his BKFC debut, dont expect jitters from him because fisticuffs are nothing new to the longtime combat veteran. While he already has a name and following on the European circuit, Terrill would love nothing more than to make a splash stateside. The winner of this Heavyweight slugfest will likely get a shot at current division kingpin Joey Beltran, who Adams already has a win over.
Britain Hart vs. Jenny Savage
Hart made a statement by spoiling VanZant’s debut earlier this year, bringing her BKFC record to a perfect 2-0. You would think that defeating by “12 Gauge” Hart would get a bit more push, at least a co-headlining spot, but that’s just not the way combat sports work these days. VanZant is the biggest name — and highest paid fighter — on BKFC’s roster so the promotion is trying to get everything they can out of her as one of its biggest stars. Plus, Paige already has the name value and in the fight game we all know how much weight that carries. No fret, Hart is determined to keep trucking along in search of her third straight win under the BKFC umbrella. After a sub-par career in MMA where she wants 2-4, Jenny Savage earned a new lease on her combat life in the bareknuckle arena, winning her debut by destroying Sheena Brandenburg in two rounds at BKFC 15 in Dec. 20. A win over Hart gets her closer to an even bigger fight, perhaps against the winner of the headlining act.
Taylor Starling vs. Cassie Robb
Starling is coming off an impressive win over Charisa Sigala at BKFC 16 which saw the ladies steal the show in a back-and-forth bloody brawl for the ages. To say these warriors left it all in the ring would be an understatement because reports show they over 500 strikes combined in all. Starling is in search of her second straight win under the BKFC banner when she takes on Robb who, well, didn’t exactly have the best of success in the MMA world, amassing a horrid record of 2-11. She is also currently on a six-fight losing streak. She also has a loss to UFC’s own Laura Sanko, which was the first fight of her combat career under the Invicta banner. In short, Robb hasn’t proven to have much to offer her foes in the fight game, but she can turn it around the bareknuckle world. It’s doable because with bare fists exposed anything can happen. One well-placed punch can clean anyone’s clock and for Robb getting a win is of the utmost importance here. She won’t be fighting for a title anytime soon, but all she is looking for is a trip back to the winner’s circle, something she hasn’t seen since 2017.
The BKFC 19 event will stream LIVE right here on MMAmania.com, at 7 p.m. ET exclusively on FITE TV. For the finalized BKFC 19 fight card and lineup click here.