Paige VanZant knows date and opponent for next fight but “can’t say yet”
Former UFC star Paige VanZant says she knows the date and opponent for her next fight, but is unable to reveal the details just yet.
VanZant parted ways with the UFC in summer of 2020, and promptly signed with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC).
She made her debut with BKFC in February, losing a decision to the more experienced Britain Hart despite a spirited effort.
While that debut didn’t go her way, VanZant has been recently teasing the announcement of her next fight, and from the sounds of it, the big reveal is coming soon.
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“I do know the opponent and date, but I can’t say yet,” VanZant wrote on Instagram after a fan asked for the details of her next fight.
This comment from VanZant is in keeping with a recent remark from BKFC President David Feldman.
“I can confidently say Paige VanZant absolutely will be back with us here in early to mid-summer,” Feldman told MMA Fighting recently. “100 percent. We are 100 percent in the Paige VanZant business. We like being in that business. She delivered for us on every aspect we needed and finished the fight strong so that was very important for us. Had she started the fight fast and not finished strong and went a whole different direction, it could be a different conversation but she finished strong and showed the heart she had and that she could adapt to this sport and she did. We’re happy of the performance.
“Pretty sure we have the opponent,” Feldman added. “We’re just dotting the I’s and crossing the T’s on this one. It’s another well-known name and I think the public is really going to get behind this one. I think it’s going to be a really competitive fight.”
Despite the outcome of her BKFC debut, VanZant has been adamant that bare knuckle fighting is her sole focus at present.
“The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear our defeat without losing heart,” VanZant wrote on Instagram after her fight with Hart. “Last night I told my husband I didn’t want to fight any more. But as soon as the words left my lips I knew that wasn’t true. I’m a fighter. This is what I live for. Losers quit when they fail, winners fail until they succeed.
“That fight last night was a good learning experience for me,” VanZant added. “The timing and distance took a little bit to figure out. But I felt my last round was my best round and I’m going to build off of that! I’m thankful to fight for the best team in the world and we are going to go back and fix our mistakes. Thank you to Britain for competing last night and congrats on victory! I’m also confident we will cross paths again.”
Who do you think Paige VanZant will fight next?