Former UFC fighter Paige VanZant signed a deal with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship instead of Bellator MMA, as many had expected she would this week.
Paige said her new contract with BKF is a four-fight exclusive deal.
“It was an amazing contract, an amazing opportunity,” VanZant told ESPN. “I also feel like it’s not a move backwards for me. It’s a lateral move to a new opportunity, a new challenge, a brand new sport. I really have sparked a brand new passion for it and especially for striking in general.
“And, on top of that, I feel like I still have this stigma in MMA that I’m just a pretty face, and what a way to prove to be people that’s not the way I see myself at all.”
VanZant says that she’s not necessarily done with MMA.
“I don’t know that I am done with MMA,” VanZant said. “I know momentarily I am. I still have a huge passion for MMA, and I just recently relocated to Florida to train with American Top Team. Obviously, they are one of the best MMA gyms in the world. Right now, my sole focus is boxing, but in a few years I could go back to MMA or I could just be making so much doing this bare knuckle boxing that I don’t do anything else.”
Let’s hope that “pretty face” doesn’t get beat up too badly.
Check out more of Paige below:
