[ad_1]
After months of hype and preparation, Paige VanZant’s Bare Knuckle FC debut is set to end on February 5 in the first pre-Superbowl event of the “Knucklemania” promotion. The UFC veteran and Dancing With The Stars contender will face Britain Hart, who is 1-2 at BKFC and 2-6-2 overall in boxing.
It’s not the fiercest competition for someone coming out of the UFC, but even with the relatively smooth matchmaking, many expect VanZant to wither in a bare-handed competition the moment she takes over. that first fist in the face. There is no shortage of detractors, but as Paige reveals in a new interview with TMZ Sports, all the hate mysteriously only comes via the internet. No one has the balls to criticize her in the face.
“You know what, I feel the majority of my career – and I’ve thought about it a lot lately – why have I kept my mouth shut on all the haters and all the hate and negativity that I get?” she asked. “Because my idea was, if you’re talking about someone, you should be prepared to tell them to their face.” And not a single person who has said anything negative about me publicly has wanted to say it to my face. And I saw people in person.
“And for me, all the negativity about ‘Oh my face’ … like, grow up!” It’s a face and it’s mine and I can do with it whatever I want! And guess what? I will always be beautiful even if I am open. It does not matter. It’s so patronizing to think that it’s just my beauty that’s important.
VanZant moved to the American Top Team premises in Florida at the end of 2020 and thanks the coaching staff for giving him a new passion for combat sports in general. A return to MMA in the future, she says, is entirely possible given the structure of her contract with Bare Knuckle FC.
“BKFC has given me the freedom in my contract to be able to take an MMA fight,” she told TMZ Sports. “I was informed about it by my manager and I did not know it at the beginning. But after we started my manager said to me, “Oh, you know you have that freedom.” At first I was like no, I just wanted to box. But coming to American Top Team kind of rekindled my enthusiasm. I now realize how good I am.
“I train with these coaches who believe in me. Make them say they believe in me, and they train some of the best fighters around the world. And they look at me and think I’m fine. So it sparks passion everywhere. So yeah, maybe I’ll take an MMA fight. I’m strictly focused on boxing right now, especially for this fight, that’s all I do. But maybe. We will see. The door is open, so it’s definitely there.
VanZant is 0-0 in boxing and 8-5 MMA (5-4 UFC) and comes from a quick first-round submission to flyweight prospect Amanda Ribas. Injuries and less-than-cordial relationship with the UFC have seen her fight just 4 times in the past four years. Now that she’s a much bigger fish in smaller ponds, we imagine she will have a lot more options ahead of her, both in bare-knuckle boxing and mixed martial arts.
You can watch Bare Knuckle FC’s Knucklemania event on February 5th via FITE.TV here.
Source link
