Paige VanZant to make BKFC debut on Super Bowl weekend

Former UFC star Paige VanZant is slated to make her debut in the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship ring on Super Bowl weekend.

VanZant signed with BKFC earlier this year after a lengthy stint with the UFC, throughout which she was one of the promotion’s biggest stars. She was originally expected to make her debut with the bare knuckle promotion in November, but that debut was ultimately delayed.

Speaking to MMA Fighting, BKFC President David Feldman revealed that VanZant is now slated to make her promotional debut on Super Bowl Weekend.

“I think it’s really going to be a really good coming out party for Paige’s debut and for BKFC in general to be around the mainstream sports media,” Feldman said. “Every sports media in the world will be there, and I think we’re going to get the attention of a lot of them that weekend. It’s going to be a great weekend for us and a great debut for Paige VanZant.”

Feldman added that VanZant will either headline or co-headline the card she debuts on.

“She’ll definitely be in the top two [fights],” Feldman said. “Either the main event or the co-main event, we’re not 100 percent sure yet. It depends on who takes what fight. We’re going to know that in the next two or three weeks.

“Once we have that card completely solidified, we’ll make that decision, but she’s got to be near the top of it or at the top because she’s going to be in every combat sports headline around for that one. So we have to give her her due.”

Feldman also teased a special series surrounding VanZant’s move from MMA to bare knuckle fighting.

“She’s training really, really hard,” Feldman said. “We’re going to do a special series about her. It’s going to be called Paige VanZant: Ungloved. We’re going to do a behind the scenes of her getting ready for this fight, her home life and everything leading up to this journey and ultimately her first fight with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championships on Feb. 5.”

Will you be watching VanZant’s BKFC debut?