Star of 'bare-knuckle boxing', VanZant says leaving the UFC was the right decision in his life

P. VanZant will have his second Bare Knuckle fight in July. Photo: Reproduction/Instagram

Former Ultimate 'darling', paige vanzant surprised by temporarily leaving MMA and signing with Bare Knuckle FC. After not having her contract renewed with the UFC and taking a chance on 'boxing without gloves', the athlete confirms that leaving the organization chaired by Dana White was the biggest decision in her life. In an interview with 'MMA fighting', the combatant celebrated the new moment in her career.

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“My entire career was built on the UFC. I stayed there for about six years. It was very exhausting. There aren't many people who left Ultimate at the peak of their careers. There are several veterans who left and were still looking for some fights”, revealed Paige.

When his contract came to an end, VanZant admitted, at the time, that he could negotiate with Bellator, the UFC's main competitor. The fighter, however, shocked when she confirmed her migration to BKFC. Even though she lost in her debut, the fighter guarantees that she has taken an important step in her career.

“I was 'free' at 26. It was exhausting knowing you were leaving the 'great force' of combat sports. Now, I know it was the best decision I made in my life. Since I left, I've seen several fighters leave Ultimate and that's not necessarily disrespectful to the UFC. I think it's an awakening for athletes that there is money out there and we will be compensated for what we do”, he concluded.

VanZant's last fight for the organization chaired by Dana White took place in July 2020. At the time, the athlete ended up submitted by Amanda ribas. In the company, Paige performed nine times, winning five and losing on four occasions.

Living a new moment, the young woman is looking for her first victory in 'bare-knuckle boxing'. In her debut, Paige ended up defeated by Britain Hart. Now, VanZant is trying to recover against Rachael Ostovich, promoting a rematch from her Ultimate days, when the blonde won by submission in 2019. The confrontation takes place on July 23rd.