Things did not go as planned for Paige VanZant last night (Friday, February 5, 2021) at BKFC 16: “KnuckleMania” live on FITE.tv PPV at RP Funding Center in Lakeland, Florida, when the former UFC star lost to main event counterpart Britain Hart via unanimous decision (highlights HERE).
Although this was VanZant’s debut and she should experience a bit of a learning curve, her performance certainly did not match the hype that surrounded the fight. As one of the most recognized names in women’s MMA today, “12 Gauge” hoped to make a big splash on his debut at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) and put the relatively new promotion on the map.
Unfortunately, Hart was the best fighter on Friday night and survived VanZant over five fun rounds. VanZant accessed Instagram after his defeat to show his battle wounds and issue a quick statement.
“Humble in victory. Humble in defeat. “
VanZant, 26, just signed with BKFC in August, so she will have plenty of time to heal and try naked boxing again. The former UFC fighter was never really known for having an amazing striking, but some expected her to deal with Hart in her debut just based on combat sports experience. It just shows that anything is possible and no confrontation should be judged by its build up before the fight.
Perhaps that loss will push VanZant into a WWE career sooner than she expected.
For complete results of BKFC 16 ‘KnuckleMania’ and click on the cover On here.