Paige VanZant is happy that one of the biggest sports figures in the U.S. has an interest in her new venture.
VanZant, a former UFC fighter who recently switched to bare knuckle boxing and signed with Bare Knuckle FC, is excited that former NBA star and TNT analyst Shaquille O’Neal is showing support for BKFC and might even invest in the promotion.
O’Neal was present for VanZant’s debut last week at “BKFC: KnuckleMania” in Florida. VanZant lost to Britain Hart in the main event, coming up short in a unanimous decision.
O’Neal was amazed by what he saw at “BKFC: KnuckleMania” and said he plans to invest in BKFC.
“These are the greatest, toughest athletes in the world,” O’Neal told USA TODAY Sports. “The fact that they’re not using gloves makes them the toughest athletes in the world. I think this is the future of fighting.”
VanZant said she absolutely loved O’Neal’s support and hopes it bring more attention to BKFC, which was founded by Dave Feldman in 2018.
“I really hope he does (invest), and I think that him being the star that he is and the accomplished athlete that he is, it just brings more attention to what we do and how hard we work in this sport – especially that in the combat sports world it’s relatively new, and it’s still not widely accepted,” VanZant said, speaking with SiriusXM’s Knuckle Up Radio. “I think having somebody as accomplished and as successful as him, I think that just shows if he can support something like this then we are true athletes grinding and fighting it out. I hope it brings more attention to all of us and what we do.”
Feldman told USA TODAY Sports that 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 who want to be part of the company.”
Paige VanZant praises Shaquille O’Neal’s support for BKFC: ‘It just brings more attention’
