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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Paige VanZant on lessons learned after BKFC debut loss

Paige VanZant opens up about the experience of her bare-knuckle boxing debut.

Paige VanZant opens up about the experience of her bare-knuckle boxing debut.

Spinning Back Clique: What happens with Paige VanZant after losing BKFC debut?

Check out the latest episode of “Spinning Back Clique” opining on Paige VanZant’s future, Nate Diaz’s next move, and more.

Welcome to “Spinning Back Clique,” MMA Junkie’s weekly show that takes a quick spin through the biggest topics in mixed martial arts. This week, host Simon Head is joined by panelists Brian “Goze” from MMA Junkie Radio, as well as MMA Junkie’s John Morgan and Nolan King. Let’s get into it!

  • [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] made her debut for BKFC at the weekend at their “KnuckleMania” event. She came up short on the scorecards against Britain Hart but has since posted a defiant, expletive-laden message on Instagram since then, stating that she won’t quit when things get tough. She says she’s in it for the long haul, but what does that mean? How will VanZant’s combat sports career progress from here?
  • Rumor and speculation continues to swirl over what’s next for the UFC lightweight division, with a certain [autotag]Nate Diaz[/autotag] adding a little more spice to the mix by getting involved in social media exchanges with Tony Ferguson and, most notably, Dustin Poirier. It seems Diaz is spoiling for a fight, but does one matchup rise above the others in terms of potential appeal?
  • UFC Fight Night 184 on Saturday night saw two contenders come up big with impressive finishes at the UFC Apex. [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] finished Alistair Overeem in the second round of the heavyweight headliner, but [autotag]Cody Sandhagen[/autotag] stole the show with a stunning flying-knee knockout of Frankie Edgar in the co-main. Both men are angling for title shots in 2021, but which man is most likely to get his wish first – and will they be successful when they get it?
  • And finally, the action rolls on at the UFC Apex on Saturday night in Las Vegas, as welterweight champion [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] puts his title on the line against former teammate and training partner [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] at UFC 258. It’s a fascinating matchup between two men who know each other very well, but is that knowledge going to be enough to help Burns dethrone “The Nigerian Nightmare” in Saturday night’s main event?

Hope you enjoy this week’s show. Watch Episode 66 of “Spinning Back Clique” above.

Paige VanZant walks back retirement thoughts after BKFC loss: ‘This is what I live for’

“I told my husband I didn’t want to fight any more. But as soon as the words left my lips I knew that wasn’t true.”

[autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] briefly considered retiring from combat sports following her loss at “Bare Knuckle FC: KnuckleMania.” Upon reflection, though, she thought better of it.

VanZant’s post-UFC career began on Friday with her transition to the bare knuckle boxing world for a showdown with Britain Hart in the main event at Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson in Clearwater, Fla. She lost a unanimous decision, dropping four of five rounds to her opponent in the 125-pound matchup.

After choosing BKFC over other suitors such as Bellator, VanZant placed high expectations on herself to perform against Hart. The fight didn’t go her way, and with that comes a natural level of disappointment.

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In a social media post on Saturday, VanZant admitted she briefly thought of retirement in the aftermath of her loss. That won’t be the case, though, and she promised to rise again in the wake of a difficult moment (via Instagram):

The greatest test of courage on earth is to bear our defeat without losing heart. Last night I told my husband I didn’t want to fight any more. But as soon as the words left my lips I knew that wasn’t true. I’m a fighter. This is what I live for. Losers quit when they fail, winners fail until they succeed. That fight last night was a good learning experience for me. The timing and distance took a little bit to figure out. But I felt my last round was my best round and I’m going to build off of that! I’m thankful to fight for the best team in the world and we are going to go back and fix our mistakes. Thank you to Britain for competing last night and congrats on victory! I’m also confident we will cross paths again.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CK9liY8F38A

VanZant did not put a timeline on her future plans and when she’ll aim to get back to work. Her promoter, BKFC president David Feldman, told MMA Junkie that he would like to see her compete this summer, but intends to give VanZant all the time she needs to get into the right mental space.

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Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

Shaquille O’Neal fan of bare knuckle boxing, plans to invest in sport

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s a fan of bare knuckle boxing and plans to invest in the sport.

Editor’s note: This article was originally published on USAToday.com.

***

LAKELAND, Fla. — Shaquille O’Neal was more than a casual spectator at the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship (BKFC) event Friday night. He is an unabashed fan of the sport and told USA TODAY Sports that he plans to invest in it.

“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,’’ O’Neal said from his ringside seat between bouts. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.’’

O’Neal said he most likely will invest in BKFC, the bareknuckle organization founded in 2018 by Dave Feldman. Feldman said completing the deal with O’Neal is a mostly a matter of “dotting the i’s and crossing t’s.’’

“Now we’ve got one of the most sought-after sports figures in the entire world,’’ Feldman said. “Who doesn’t know Shaq? And now he’s going to be part of this company, and it’s going to make a lot for people want to be part of the company.’’

O’Neal’s association no longer will surprise after “KnuckleMania,’’ a pay-per-view event held less than 40 miles from Raymond James Stadium, site of Super Bowl 55. After the second-to-last fight, O’Neal climbed into the ring and presented the bantamweight championship belt to Dat Nguyen, who beat Johnny Bedford for the title.

O’Neal, who was wearing camouflage, said he discovered the sport through a friend and attended his first BKFC event on Dec. 11 in Biloxi, Mississippi.

“And it was a great event,’’ O’Neal said, adding, “Because they don’t want to use the gloves, they’re fighting like a fight should be had.’’

The BKFC event Friday was held at RP Funding Center, home to the Orlando Magic’s affiliate in the NBA G League. It featured Paige VanZant, the former UFC fighter who was making her bareknuckle debut.

She lost her bout to Britain Hart by a unanimous decision.

BKFC president: Paige VanZant ‘still has a future’ fighting bare knuckle despite debut loss

“She wanted to prove to herself that she could do this. I take my hat off to her and I expect her to come back.”

Bare Knuckle FC president David Feldman doesn’t expect [autotag]Paige VanZant[/autotag] to throw in the towel on fighting for his promotion despite falling short in her debut.

VanZant suffered a unanimous decision loss to Britain Hart in their 125-pound bout on Friday, which served as the “BKFC: KnuckleMania” main event at Bert’s Barracuda Harley-Davidson in Clearwater, Fla. She lost four of five rounds on the scorecards, but did not suffer significant damage.

Feldman could only say positive things about “12 Gauge” after the fact. Bringing her in was a massive signing for his organization, and he said her presence resonated across all tangible metrics, with the event trending to do “very, very well” on pay-per-view.

Although VanZant didn’t get her desired outcome, Feldman said he doesn’t think she looked out of place against Hart, who edged her in both professional and bare knuckle boxing experience. But like anyone who joins a new sport, there’s a learning curve involved.

“I was impressed by what she did,” Feldman told MMA Junkie on Saturday. “It’s not the result she wanted, but at the same time for the company and the future for her, she still has a future here. I think she was a little bit surprised when she was in there. She has no quit in her and you could really see in the fourth and fifth round she really started to come on.

“I take my hat off to Paige. Win, lose or draw, just the fact she did something she didn’t have to do is really impressive. She wanted to prove to herself that she could do this. I take my hat off to her and I expect her to come back. She didn’t take a beating. She got edged in a close fight.”

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VanZant has yet to give any extensive thoughts on the bout. She left the ring moments after the decision was announced, and did not attend the post-fight news conference to take questions from reporters.

She did, however, post on Instagram with a short caption stating she would be “humble in defeat.” Feldman said he had an opportunity to speak personally with VanZant after her loss, and although she was naturally disappointed, he said he didn’t get the sense she was discouraged.

“She’s a competitor and she wants to be the best at everything she does and she wants to succeed,” Feldman said. “She fell short last night in a decision. Some people thought that she won, some people thought that she lost. I thought she put up a very game, valiant effort. She’s down, but she’s not depressed. She wanted to win. She trained her ass off and did a hell of a thing. She tested herself and that’s something a lot of people don’t do. I’m proud of her, I’m proud that’s she part of this team and part of this company.”

VanZant said prior to making her BKFC debut that an eventual return to MMA was likely for the future. She signed with BKFC after a lengthy UFC tenure, and revealed before stepping into the ring that she’d received a very lucrative contract for her services.

What ultimately happens with VanZant’s fighting career going forward will be a decided by her, her family and her team, Feldman said. However, he said there are no signs as of now this is the end of her road with BKFC.

Feldman said he intends to give VanZant space to sort through her thoughts and emotions, but he hopes she returns to the ring sometime in the coming months.

“We’ll definitely talk next week,” Feldman said. “I want to give her time to spend with her husband. If she’s interested and ready to come back, definitely by the end of the summer. Everyone is calling her out. Everyone wants to fight Paige because she can help them make a name for themselves. So we have a lot of options right now on the table.”

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