Does Paige VanZant’s BKFC deal allow her to compete in MMA?

Yes. Paige VanZant’s BKFC deal does allow her to compete in MMA as well.

Paige VanZant made this revelation in a recent interview with TMZ Sports. VanZant noted that she only recently found out that her BKFC deal permits her to compete in both bare-knuckle boxing and MMA.

Paige VanZant fires back at her haters

Longtime UFC fighter Paige VanZant parted ways with the promotion last year (2020) and signed a multi-fight contract with BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship).

Speaking to TMZ Sports, Paige VanZant shed light upon what she feels about her haters who’ve been criticizing her move from MMA to BKFC and the world of bare-knuckle boxing. VanZant stated:

“Yeah, you know what, I feel like I have, for the majority of my career – and I’ve been thinking about this – like, ‘why have I kept my mouth shut so much about all the haters?’ And all the hate and negativity that I get. Because my idea was: If you talk sh*t about somebody, then you should be willing to say it to their face. And not a single person who has said anything negative about me publicly has been willing to say it to my face. And I’ve seen people in person. And for me, it’s like, all the negativity about, ‘oh, my face!’, like, ‘grow up!’.”

“It’s a face, and it’s mine. And I can do whatever I want with it. And guess what, I’m still gonna be beautiful even if I get cut open. It’s not a big deal...I wanna see the world like a great, happy place...Like that's so condescending. Just to think of like your beauty as being so important.”

Paige VanZant has signed a new multi-fight, exclusive contract with Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, according to sources.More on the deal shortly.

— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) August 12, 2020

Does Paige VanZant’s BKFC deal allow her to compete in MMA?

Paige VanZant had words of high praise for her coaches and team at her new gym, ATT (American Top Team), which is widely regarded as one of the best MMA training camps in the world.

Furthermore, Paige VanZant pointed out that her BKFC deal allows her to take MMA fights as well. VanZant said:

“BKFC, it was just verified before now, they did give me the liberty in my contracts to be able to take an MMA fight. I was informed of that by my manager, and I didn’t know that at first.”

“At first, I was like, ‘no, I just want to do the boxing’. But I feel like, coming to American Top Team, it kind of rebirthed my excitement. I now realize how good I am.” (*H/T Sportskeeda for the transcription)

Presently, Paige VanZant is set to make her debut in the sport of bare-knuckle boxing against Britain Hart in the main event of BKFC 16. VanZant’s fight is set to take place on February 5th, 2021, in Tampa, Florida.

Would you like to see Paige VanZant compete in bare-knuckle boxing, MMA, or both? Sound off in the comments.