Paige VanZant goes bald-knuckle in her next martial art.
After ending her contract with the UFC, the 26-year-old MMA star opted to sign with the upstart Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, several people with knowledge of contract talks told MMA Fighting. Terms of VanZant’s multi-fight deal were not disclosed.
The news was first reported by ESPN.
VanZant posted a photo of her signing a contract on Wednesday, noting that she is “about to change the game” and promises fighting news “coming soon.”
BKFC and Bellator were two famous sugars fought by VanZant after their departure from the UFC, which came one month after a loss of submission of the first round to Amanda Ribas at UFC 251. Bellator president Scott Coker told MMA Fighting VanZant declined an offer with the ViacomCBS-owned promotion, which has a contract with her husband, Austin Vanderford.
The Ribas fight was the first of 18 from VanZant after a series of injury-related injuries to her right arm, which was broken in January 2018 during a fight with Jessica-Rose Clark. In a recent interview with MMA Fighting, she said she would put corrective surgery out to make a quick turn in the cage for a comeback story. ‘
“In my mind, I will remove this last fight and start over,” she said. ‘I do not know how long this bargaining chip will last. I hope fast, because I have absolutely no injuries. I do not even know when I’m hit, so I’m ready to fight again. ”
VanZant has competed in the quarterfinals as strawweight and flyweight. The current BKFC currently promotes a women’s division, whose champion, Bec Rawlings, lost to VanZant in 2016 by KO in the UFC.
