PAIGE VANZANT appears to have bulked up for her bare-knuckle boxing debut – showing off her ‘progress of hard work’.
The ex-UFC star makes her brutal switch into the ring on February 5, having signed for Bare Knuckle Boxing Fighting Championship in 2020.
She will face former pro boxer Britain Hart – who is 1-2 in BKBFC.
And VanZant looks to be in fine form as she flexed her biceps on Instagram and revealed a ripped abdomen.
The American left the UFC with an 8-5 MMA record before deciding to embark on a new venture.
Hart, 30, meanwhile has boxed 11 times as a professional, with a record of 4-4-3, before her BKBFC switch in 2018.
BKBFC president David Feldman told MMAFighting: “Britain’s a real tough girl – she’s skilled, but she’s not the best technical boxer in the world
“Paige isn’t going to have to chase her down.
“It’s going to be competitive, but I think it’s going to be a good opponent choice for Paige on her first event.
“[Paige is] getting paid very well, and I don’t think we could have thrown her somebody that never fought bare-knuckle before, or at least someone that had a pretty well-established record.
“I don’t think the fans would have liked that. We’re going to give the fans what they want.”
VanZant will kick off her bare-knuckle career two days before the Super Bowl, which is currently scheduled for February 7 at the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
As a result, the promotion are hoping to steal some attention from the NFL finale coverage before the fight.