Paige VanZant is now apart of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships.
The MMA veteran opted to test out the free market following her fight against Amanda Ribas at UFC 251. VanZant was extremely vocal about her unhappiness over the pay she’s received during her time in the UFC, which was one of the driving factors for leaving her former employer.
Since then, the 26-year-old was given offers from Bellator MMA and Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships, with VanZant signing a four-fight, multi-million dollar deal with the new promotion. Bellator President Scott Coker confirmed with MMA Fighting that VanZant turned down a deal with the promotion.
VanZant joins former UFC fighters Jason Knight, Chris Leben, Chase Sherman, Artem Lobov, Bec Rawlings, Michael McDonald, and Kendall Grove. The former UFC star is expected to make her debut in November, though nothing has been signed or confirmed just yet. VanZant actually sat down with BKFC President David Feldman and expressed her gratitude over being a member of the roster (Transcript courtesy of MMA Fighting):
“I knew where my heart was along this whole journey,” she told the promoter during a live chat on Wednesday. “Of course, you had to deal with my managers, which I’m sure was really fun, but my heart was in it.”
We’ll keep you updated when more news about VanZant’s debut is released.