BKFC 19 results: Rachael Ostovich avenges loss to Paige VanZant, wins decision in a five-round war

Rachael Ostovich avenges loss to Paige VanZant, outpoints her in a five-round war at BKFC 19.

TAMPA, Fla. – [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] avenged her loss to [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] in emphatic fashion.

Ostovich defeated VanZant in the main event of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 19, which took place at the Florida State Fairgrounds on Friday night. Ostovich outpointed VanZant in a unanimous decision, winning with scores of 48-47, 48-47, and 49-46 on the judges’ cards.

It’s was a rematch that stemmed from a January 2019 MMA bout when the two fighters met at UFC Fight Night 143. VanZant won the contest, submitting Ostovich with a second-round armbar.

The first two rounds were very competitive as both fighters were figuring out their timing and styles.

Ostovich landed big on VanZant, but the former “Dancing with the Stars” participant made sure to answer with solid shots of her own. They engaged in wild exchanges and clinched often with both fighters landing clean shots from the clinch. It was a high-paced contest.

In the third round, Ostovich clearly got ahead. She was constantly connecting her over-hand right while moving away from VanZant’s shots. VanZant was unable to find the target and Ostovich was constantly tagging her.

The fourth and the fifth Ostovich kept the momentum. VanZant rallied back at times, but Ostovich was clearly ahead – even stunning VanZant at multiple times during the final four minutes.

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VanZant made her bare-knuckle debut in February, losing a decision to Britain Hart. She’s now 0-2 since leaving the UFC and switching to BKFC.

Meanwhile, this bout marked Ostovich’s first fight since leaving the UFC in late 2020. She’s picked up her first win in combat sports since December 2017.

Below are the full BKFC 19 results:

  • Rachael Ostovich def. Paige VanZant via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
  • Arnold Adams def. Mick Terrill via knockout – Round 2, 0:38
  • Britain Hart def. Jenny Savage via TKO – Round 3, 1:55
  • Taylor Starling def. Cassie Robb via TKO – Round 1, 0:28
  • Geane Herrera def. Abdiel Velazquez via TKO – Round 2, 0:14
  • Blue Face def. Kane Trujilo via unanimous decision
  • Nick Ireland def. DK Money via majority decision
  • Evil Hero def. Dakota Olave via unanimous decision
  • Terry Janoski def. Richard Carsten via TKO – Round 1, 1:55
  • Antonio Soto def. Joshua Sikes via unanimous decision (50-45, 49-46, 48-47)
  • Jared Warren def. Zion Tomlinson via knockout – Round 1, 1:14
  • Jay Jackson def. Damon Bell via knockout – Round 3, 1:58
  • Chris Jensen def. Kyle McElroy via TKO – Round 1, 1:27
  • Jordan Nash def. Brandon Allen via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 48-47)

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Twitter reacts to Rachael Ostovich’s upset of Paige VanZant at BKFC 19

Check out the Twitter reacts to Rachael Ostovich’s win over Paige VanZant in the BKFC 19 headliner.

[autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag]’s foray into the world of bare knuckle boxing was a success on Friday as she earned a redemptive victory over [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] in the BKFC 19 headliner.

The rematch of the UFC fight from January 2019 that VanZant won by submission was limited exclusively to fisticuffs, and in that element Ostovich got her revenge with a unanimous decision win.

e fight took place at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, Fla., and saw VanZant fell to 0-2 with BKFC after dropping her debut to Britain Hart in March.

Check below for the top Twitter reacts to Ostovich’s win over VanZant in the BKFC 19 headliner.

BKFC 19: VanZant vs. Ostovich live and official results

Follow along for live results of BKFC 19, which features Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich in the main event.

TAMPA, Fla. – MMA Junkie is on the scene for Bare Knuckle FC 19, and you can following along right here for live results of the action beginning at 7 p.m. ET.

BKFC 19, which takes place at the Florida State Fairgrounds, is headlined by a women’s flyweight bout between former UFC fighters [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag]. It’s a rematch of their MMA fight at UFC Fight Night 143, which VanZant won by second-round armbar submission. This time, though, the gloves are off, and it’s all about punches.

Up-to-the-minute BKFC 19 results include:

  • Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich
  • Britain Hart vs. Jenny Savage
  • Arnold Adams vs. Mick Terrill
  • Jared Warren vs. Zion Tomlinson
  • Taylor Starling vs. Cassie Robb
  • Geanne Herrera vs. Abdiel Velasquez
  • Brandon Allen vs. Jordan Nash
  • Sky Moiseichik vs. Jorge Gonzalez
  • Joshua Sikes vs. Antonio Soto
  • Jay Jackson vs. Damon Bell
  • Chris Jensen vs. Kyle McElroy

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Paige VanZant: Unlike Rachael Ostovich, ‘I know exactly what it’s gonna feel like fight night’

Having already competed once in bare-knuckle boxing, Paige VanZant thinks that’ll make all the difference vs. Rachael Ostovich.

TAMPA, Fla. – Having already competed once in bare-knuckle boxing, [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] thinks she’ll be a lot more acquainted than [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag].

VanZant meets Ostovich in the main event of Bare Knuckle FC 19 on Friday, a rematch of their January 2019 MMA bout that VanZant won by armbar submission. Although her BKFC debut didn’t go according to plan, VanZant says she now knows what to expect going into the fight, as opposed to Ostovich, who will be making her bare-knuckle boxing debut.

“I know that going into this fight there isn’t that question for me like what is it gonna feel like,” VanZant told MMA Junkie. “Am I gonna break my hands? Am I gonna cut open right away? There’s those questions of kinda like what’s it gonna feel like, one, emotionally, and two, physically. Now I don’t have those questions.

“I know exactly what it’s gonna feel like fight night. I know what I’m gonna go through, and I’m gonna know the whole plan the entire night. Whereas those are questions she might have, just wondering how this is all gonna go down in your first fight ever. It’s trying something brand new for their first time. It’s always a little scary.”

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After losing to Britain Hart in her promotional debut, VanZant made a lot of changes. She started working with renowned boxing trainer Pedro Diaz to sharpen her hands and is riding plenty of confidence heading into fight night.

“I took a lot of lessons from that,” VanZant said. “You really need experience in bare-knuckle boxing to be successful. Now that I have the experience, I have one fight under my belt, I continue to grow with this sport, with the division and with the organization. It’s unfortunate for Rachael. I feel like I made the moves after that last fight. I took a lot of lessons from it. I switched to Mundo Boxing with Pedro Diaz. I got one of the best boxing coaches in the world in my corner, and I haven’t stopped working since that fight. This is definitely a brand new fighter that you’re gonna see.”

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BKFC 19 video: Paige VanZant vs. Rachael Ostovich weigh-ins and final faceoff

Watch Paige VanZant and Rachael Ostovich weigh-in and faceoff ahead of their main event at BKFC 19.

TAMPA, Fla. – [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] had their final fight week faceoff following BKFC 19 weigh-ins on Thursday.

Ahed of their bare-knuckle boxing main event clash, VanZant came in at 129.8 pounds, while Ostovich came in at 129.9.

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It’s a rematch that stems from their January 2019 MMA bout when VanZant won by first-round armbar at UFC Fight Night 143. This time, it will be an all-out standup battle as the recently signed Ostovich makes her bareknuckle debut.

Check out the ceremonial weigh-in and full faceoff for the BKFC 19 main event in the video above.

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Ahead of BKFC 19, Paige VanZant doesn’t look back on UFC days: ‘I don’t miss it at all’

Paige VanZant feels a return to MMA is unlikely and doesn’t miss her days in the UFC.

TAMPA, Fla. – One thing is clear in [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag]’s career – she doesn’t miss her time in the UFC and she’s more than happy in her latest career venture.

The combat sports star is gearing up for her second bare-knuckle boxing bout this Friday, as she takes on fellow former UFC fighter Rachael Ostovich in the main event of Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship 19. VanZant signed with BKFC in August 2020 after having fought out her UFC contract the month before, putting an end to a six-year run with the premiere MMA organization in the world.

The 27-year-old is happy with her decision to have switched sports in her fighting career and in no way misses her time with the UFC, which was where she rose to prominence in combat sports.

“No, I haven’t looked back honestly,” VanZant told MMA Junkie. “I think you take those moments to look back when you think there might be something better in the past, but since I left, my future here, everything has just gotten better and better every single second.

“I’m so excited to be with BKFC. I love boxing. I love my new gym. I love everyone I train with. There’s nothing in the past that I miss. I always wondered, ‘Would I miss the UFC?’ I don’t. I don’t miss it at all. I love being here, I love boxing. My life has changed in all the best ways possible.”

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Although she might not miss MMA, VanZant is not ready to commit and close the chapter on it entirety. However, she does admit the chances of an MMA return are dwindling.

“It’s getting further and further away, honestly,” VanZant explained. “I feel like that’s a big part of my past that the door may be closed. I never like to say it because who knows, but right now I’m really loving just straight boxing.

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Video: Paige VanZant and Rachael Ostovich face off ahead of rematch at BKFC 19

Watch Paige VanZant and Rachael Ostovich faceoff ahead of rematch at BKFC 19.

TAMPA, Fla. – [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] kept things professional during their first faceoff of fight week ahead of their rematch.

VanZant and Ostovich faced off Wednesday at the Bare Knuckle FC 19 press conference. The two former UFC fighters headline BKFC 19 card on Friday.

It’s a rematch that stems from their January 2019 MMA bout when VanZant won by first-round armbar at UFC Fight Night 143. This time, it will be an all-out standup battle as the recently signed Ostovich makes her bareknuckle debut.

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Additionally, the press conference featured other staredowns in [autotag]Britain Hart[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Jenny Savage[/autotag], [autotag]Taylor Starling[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Cassie Robb[/autotag], as well as the platform showdown matchups.

Check out the full faceoffs for the BKFC 19 main card in the video above.

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Paige VanZant offers a titillating reason to watch her BKFC fight with Rachael Ostovich

Paige VanZant

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] are set to throw hands July 23 for Bare Knuckle FC in what some people (dudes) would call a “hot girl fight.” Don’t get mad at me for saying that; the proof is in the replies to MMA Junkie’s tweet about the fight booking and probably a bunch of other comments sections and message boards.

Their physical looks aside, though, there’s reason to be intrigued by this fight:

But, of course, the MMA audience being what it is (mostly dudes) and both women using their social media to flaunt what they’ve got, there’s naturally focus on their looks. PVZ knows this, and she leaned right into after the fight was announced (via Instagram).

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPYuWy2MeJe/

Come for the boobies, stay for the violence

There you go, BKFC marketing team. You have your slogan for the event.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CPRJM0gs6Nc/

https://www.instagram.com/p/COY8p_LB9bi/

The Blue Corner is MMA Junkie’s blog space. We don’t take it overly serious, and neither should you. If you come complaining to us that something you read here is not hard-hitting news, expect to have the previous sentence repeated in ALL CAPS.

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Paige VanZant faces Rachael Ostovich at Bare Knuckle FC on July 23

Paige VanZant and Rachael Ostovich will run things back, but on a different stage.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] and [autotag]Rachael Ostovich[/autotag] will run things back, but on a different stage.

VanZant meets Ostovich at BKFC’s July 23 event in a rematch from their January 2019 MMA bout that VanZant won by first-round armbar at UFC Fight Night 143. This time, it will be an all-out standup battle when the recently signed Ostovich makes her bareknuckle debut.

Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently told MMA Junkie of the booking. Thursday, the promotion made an official announcement.

VanZant made her BKFC debut in February and lost to Britain Hart by unanimous decision in a 125-pound contest in the “BKFC: KnuckleMania” main event. Although VanZant came up short, she was able to rally late to win the final round on the judges’ scorecards. She expressed her desire for a quick turnaround and will be meeting a familiar face this summer.

Ostovich, who signed with BKFC in April, parted ways with the UFC in December following a three-fight losing skid. The 30-year-old “Ultimate Fighter 26” alum most recently was seen in action this past November, when she was stopped by Gina Mazany at UFC on ESPN 18.

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Paige VanZant reflects on ‘big learning process’ from BKFC debut, looks forward to rebounding

“It’s the biggest letdown in the world, but I know it’s not going to shape me or define me,” Paige VanZant said of her loss to Britain Hart.

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] is fired up and looking to get back in the ring.

The former UFC fighter and now Bare Knuckle FC competitor wants to return this spring to bounce back from her unsuccessful debut last week. VanZant lost to Britain Hart by unanimous decision in a 125-pound contest in the main event of “BKFC: KnuckleMania.”

VanZant, who left the UFC as a free agent in 2020, has no opponent in mind for her second BKFC bout, but she hopes to get booked quickly so she can put her loss behind her.

“I would like to fight in April. I really want to capitalize on my momentum from that fifth round,” VanZant told SiriusXM’s Knuckle Up Radio. “Im ready to rock. I need to get back in there again. I will say, overall experience, it will be one to remember. I did enjoy the moment, (but) I didn’t enjoy the outcome. I enjoyed the moment with Britain in that fight. It was awesome.”

Although VanZant came up short, she did find some success in the fight. The former “Dancing with the Stars” competitor lost the majority of the bout but managed to turn up late and take a round on all three judges’ scorecards.

VanZant would love to get a rematch with Hart, but just not yet.

“She (Hart) did amazing,” VanZant said. “She was able to frustrate me during the fight, and I think that’s the biggest compliment I can give her.

“Her composure was amazing with every round. She’s got a dog in her, and it took me to get to the fifth round to find mine. I do think we’ll cross paths again. I don’t think I deserve to fight her in an immediate rematch. Yes, we had a close fight, but I don’t see it as close as a lot of the world sees it.

“I think I won the fifth round, but I wasn’t happy with my performance Rounds 1 through 4. It took that fifth round to get that rhythm. I think me and her will cross paths again, and I want that to hopefully be for the title. I think that fight should happen later in my career, and I think I need to get more wins and earn my shot against her.”

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Even though the defeat stung, VanZant won’t dwell on it. She knows what adjustments need to be made moving forward and plans on addressing them.

“There’s a few things that I’m going to take away from it and go to the gym and adjust and learn,” VanZant said. “It was a really big learning process throughout the fight.

“As the rounds went, I felt like I was adjusting and kind of finding my rhythm and finding what was working what wasn’t. I stepped into an entirely different sport really and not being able to fully train this sport unless you fight. You can’t really box bare-knuckle in the gym, so it was an adjustment period. It sucks, it’s unfortunate, I’m not happy. I’m never happy with a loss, ever. It’s the biggest letdown in the world, but I know it’s not going to shape me or define me. I know I can go back and learn and get better.”

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