Paige VanZant shows off bruised face after brutal bare-knuckle debut but ex-UFC star left ‘humble in victory or defeat’
PAIGE VANZANT showed off her battle-scarred face following her bare-knuckle boxing debut.
The former UFC star was beaten in her highly anticipated bow at BKFC 16 as Britain Hart stole the show.
But PVZ was in high spirits after the loss as she took to Instagram to accept the result graciously.
VanZant, 26, wrote: "Humble in victory. Humble in defeat."
After the win, Hart, 31, said: "I love Paige VanZant, she was an idol to me because she was a pretty girl who could break the limits.
"I'm not a person though, I'm not. I'm a f***ing feeling and all of you guys are gonna feel it.
"I make this moment about the people who believe, not the people who don't believe.
"This is not to my haters, this is not to the people who didn't believe in me, this isn't for the people who said Paige VanZant was going to win.
"This is for the people that said I could."
PVZ was bullied in the clinch and not powerful enough with her ungloved punches to get the much-needed win.
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Social media star VanZant started well, jabbing and moving far better than her unknown rival.
But Hart soon sussed that VanZant lacked the tools to hurt her and started to walk her down.
Hart dominated the second-round clinches and a welt started to grow under PVZ's left eye.
VanZant began that fourth round with some fresh impetus but she was stunned by a little right hand that stopped her flow.
Then Hart then smashed a huge right hand into VanZant’s jaw but she somehow swallowed the meaty dig.
Hart's corner told her, before the fifth and final two-minute round, that she was about to change her life.
And she went out and did it by surviving a late desperate barrage and getting the nod from the judges who all scored it 49-46.