Paige VanZant still a ‘martial artist 100 per cent’, not a prizefighter ahead of Bare Knuckle FC debut
- ‘I’m here to take over,’ says former UFC star before her bare knuckle boxing debut vs Britain Hart this weekend
- ‘I get opportunities a lot of other fighters don’t, but that doesn’t take away from my martial arts training at all,’ VanZant says
Paige VanZant is not stepping away from martial arts.
After fighting out her contract with the UFC in 2020 and testing the market in free agency, the American starlet signed a lucrative four-bout deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship and pushed MMA to the side for the foreseeable future.
Getting involved in the most brutal version of combat sports, many could mistakenly label the 26-year-old VanZant a “prizefighter” rather than a martial artist.
“I see myself 100 per cent as a martial artist,” the former Sports Illustrated model and Dancing With the Stars contestant told SCMP MMA. “I’ve been training since I was 15, I haven’t quit. I haven’t wanted to step away, I haven’t thought about stepping away.
“I made the transition from Oregon to Florida just so I can have the best coaches, the best team possible. And especially only being 26 I have accomplished a lot.
“On top of that, I get some opportunities a lot of other fighters don’t get but that doesn’t take away from my martial arts training at all.”