Tag: BKFC

Paige Vanzant has heard what you have to say about her move to bare-knuckle boxing and she’s not having any of it.

The former UFC star signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship in August 2020 after a 5-4 run in the world’s top MMA promotion. The signing came as a surprise to many who expected VanZant to sign with one of the other notable MMA organizations, but ’12 Gauge’ has remained insistent that bare-knuckle boxing is what intrigues her the most. In an interview with TMZ ahead of her BKFC debut against Britain Hart on February 5, VanZant again took aim at those who have been doubtful of her in her career.

“You know what? I have, for the majority of my career – and I’ve been thinking about this – why have I kept my mouth shut so much about all the haters, and about all the hate and negativity I get?” VanZant said. “My idea was, if you talk s— about somebody, you should be willing to say that to their face. And not a single person who has said anything negative about me publicly has been willing to say it to my face, and I’ve seen people in person.” (H/T MMAJunkie)

VanZant also took umbrage with anyone that has suggested she should be worried about the damage her face could receive in the often graphic sport.

“All the negativity about ‘Oh! My face!’ Grow up!” she said. “It’s a face, and it’s mine, and I can do whatever I want with it, and guess what, I’m still going to be beautiful, even if I get cut open. It’s not a big deal. … That’s so condescending to think of your beauty as being important.”

VanZant also noted that the lead-up to her fight has also brought a clause in her contract she was previously unaware of to her attention. According to her manager, she is still able to take MMA bouts while remaining under contract with BKFC. She said that while she had initially considered walking away from the sport to focus solely on boxing, moving her training to South Florida has reignited her spark.

“BKFC, they did give me the liberty in my contract to be able to take an MMA fight. I was informed of that by my manager, and I didn’t know that at first,” VanZant explained. “At first, I was like, ‘No, I just want to do the boxing.’ But I think that, coming to American Top Team, it rebirthed my excitement and I now realize how good I am.”

“I’m training with these coaches who believe in me. Having them say they believe in me, and they train some of the best fighters in the entire world, and they look at me and they believe that I’m good,” she said. “So that kinda sparked that passion all over the place. So yeah, maybe I will take an MMA fight. I’m strictly focused on the boxing right now, especially for this fight. That’s all I do. But, maybe. Let’s see. The door is open, so it’s definitely there.”

Do you want to see Paige VanZant return to MMA? Let us know!

Paige VanZant is looking to prove she has what it takes to transition from MMA to the world of bare-knuckle boxing.

The former UFC star debuted in the promotion in November 2014. She was originally supposed to be part of the previous iteration of The Ultimate Fighter, but wasn’t allowed to participate because she was only 20 years-old, and contestants must be 21 due to the presence of alcohol in the house. She went 5-4 while with the UFC, fighting a number of big names and often being given high-profile treatment. She also made a number of appearances outside of the octagon, which included appearing on the TV shows Dancing with the Stars and Chopped. Her run in the organization ended after UFC 251, where she was defeated by Amanda Ribas in the first round. That fight was the last on VanZant’s contract, and she was very vocal about her pay going into the bout. Many believed the UFC matched her against the streaking Ribas to send her into free agency coming off a loss.

After exploring her options as a free agent, VanZant surprised many when she decided to sign with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship. The belief was she would sign with Bellator MMA, where she would join her husband, Austin Vanderford. In an interview with Unlocking the Cage, she gave more insight as to what went into her decision (H/T BJPenn).

“It wasn’t strictly financial for me,” Paige VanZant said. “I actually had three or four big players when it came to negotiating contracts. So I had four awesome offers to look at. I think everyone kind of expected me to go to Bellator cause that’s where my husband [Austin Vanderford] fights. And of course, that aspect did intrigue me, I’d love to fight for the same organization as him. It makes sense career-wise, I guess. But, the passion in me wanted to go to bare-knuckle.

“I feel like looking at my fight career, yeah I have an equal amount of submission finishes, knockouts, and like a decision. So for me, it was more about when you look at my whole fight career, the one thing that stands out above anything is how tough I am and I carried that through every single fight and I think the people who really make it in bare-knuckle boxing are the people who are tough. It’s a sport for only the toughest of the tough. And that’s where I want to show my worth and my value. At the same time, I get to utilize and sharpen what I feel is one of my best weapons and that’s my striking.”

Many wondered if her signing with BKFC signaled the end of her MMA career, where she ran up an 8-5 record. While VanZant didn’t shut down the idea that she has moved on from MMA, she also said that she’s more focused on what’s directly in front of her.

“I may go back to MMA, we don’t know,” VanZant finished. “But right now I’m truly passionate about this bare-knuckle boxing and I’m excited to see where it takes me.”

VanZant is scheduled to make her BKFC debut on February 5, reportedly opposite Britain Knight. She will be looking to record her first victory in combat sports since January 2019, when she defeated Rachael Ostovich.

How do you think Paige VanZant will do in BKFC? Do you want to see her return to MMA?