Of all the fights Paige VanZant fans are struggling with, when one of the most recognized athletes on the UFC roster arrived at free agency last summer, Bare Knuckle FC wasn’t really on the radar.
This is forgivable. It wasn’t exactly her either.
“No, nothing,” VanZant told The Post in an email Tuesday. “I’ve always thought about that [bare knuckle boxing] like something I would want to do, but didn’t know would be my home. I didn’t know they would be such a great player in the negotiation process and they ended up being one of the most important players. “
Still, the UFC veteran of nine fights with an 8-5 mark in MMA will enter the ring for the head of BKFC’s pay-per-view poster (FITE TV, 9 p.m.) without gloves on Friday night, facing Britain Hart in Tampa, Fla., at an event called KnuckleMania.
Leaving the UFC, the main MMA promotion, was not necessarily a shock. Many predicted that VanZant, whose name carries weight over casual, non-wrestling fans, thanks to his success on the “Dancing With the Stars” and “Chopped” competition reality shows, would join husband Austin Vanderford under the Bellator banner. Given that he respects the offer he received from one of the two best MMA suits after the UFC and other suitors, he is unlikely to have been competitive with what BKFC brought to the table.
With the new management negotiating this deal than had previously been agreed with the UFC, VanZant achieved what manager Malki Kawa referred to last August as “a multi-million dollar deal and not even we are talking about sprinkles and sundae cherries “.
“On top of his amazing offer, it was right where my passion was,” VanZant said. “I thought about how exciting it would be to call myself a professional boxer. It was one in which I felt that this would make me stand out, and that is what will make me the worst in my organization. “
Few athletes in combat sports, especially in MMA, are able to close seven-figure contracts. But VanZant’s status as a crossover star makes her a bit of a unicorn in this world. While most fighters could only dream of such a massive combat bag, it is the reality of the 26-year-old that she can also make money out of the fight.
Asked if she could have turned down such a lucrative offer, she agreed that she could do so, based on confidence in her ability to make the most of opportunities. He cited a multi-million dollar deal that his manager assured him earlier this year, a test of the strength that has his name on the negotiating table.
“I am lucky to earn all the dollars they pay me. I’ve fought for that, ”VanZant said.“ I’ve done my best to build my brand and I know I’ll bring a lot to Bare Knuckle, as well as bring me a lot for what I wear. ”
VanZant wants to be clear that he is not “pointing fingers and talking negatively about the UFC” out of displeasure with his latest contract. Rather, she says it took her a while to reach the open market to assess its value and find what she considered adequate compensation, which she said her previous management who traded on her behalf could not do.
“It was a contract that was negotiated for me,” he said. “I wasn’t happy about that at the time, and now I have a better one.”
Friday’s debut marks the first of four fights contracted with the BKFC. Unlike his experience in MMA, only his bare fists are weapons. This means there are no elbows, kicks or knees, which VanZant says he will miss using to some extent, especially the Muay Thai strikes, for which he “gained passion in recent years.” There are no problems either, which eliminates your strengths when it comes to creating shuffles and working for shipments and ground attacks on the carpet. As an advantage, there is no threat of withdrawal, which he admits was part of his struggle in several UFC setbacks.
“Just my withdrawal defense was my biggest downfall,” VanZant said. “… It got to the point where many of my opponents were able to knock me down at will, and I couldn’t progress my free fight to take over.”
However, he expressed his confidence in the coaching staff of the American Top Team, where he currently trains, as he is able to take his defensive struggle to the next level if he is back in the MMA competition. And that option, she says, gives her her BKFC contract, so the door to the sport hasn’t closed.
With Hart fighting, her main focus, she has not been training MMA beyond helping other women in the gym. Instead, he sharpens his boxing technique to “narrow the gap in my strike for this transition.”
One thing that doesn’t worry VanZant is the lack of gloves. It’s not uncommon for him to be punched or cut in the face. He also downplayed the difference between MMA gloves and no gloves, let alone a factor in this smaller, feathered fight.
“My MMA gloves for which I fight for the UFC are tiny,” VanZant said. “I think the risk of cutting yourself is much greater, but I think you can deal with anything.”
Hart is a 4-4-3 boxer as well as a 1-2 in nudist fights, with a total of four wins per tie in both sports. VanZant talked a lot about Hart’s toughness as something that “led her to do a lot of fights.”
While VanZant’s amazing game at MMA was not known for its boxing base, he believes viewers will be amazed at how far sweet science has come.
“I think they’ll see a technical boxer, someone who has really developed my amazing game,” VanZant said. “I have changed my fighting style a lot. I’ve been able to really focus on one skill, and when you focus on one skill for so long, it will definitely demonstrate the growth I’ve made. ”