"They both have the chance to become absolute superstars" - BKFC President David Feldman on Rachel Ostovich vs. Paige VanZant 

Bare-knuckle boxing is one of the latest additions to the mainstream combat sports world, with BKFC (Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship) leading the pack. Several names from both MMA and boxing have transitioned over to the new sport, with Paige VanZant and Rachel Ostovich being two of the most notable.

VanZant and Ostovich are set to face off against each other at BKFC's upcoming event in July. The two fighters previously fought in the UFC, with VanZant winning the bout via submission. However, now competing under bare-knuckle boxing rules, there is no guarantee she will come out on top a second time.

They have an opportunity to really stand out and make a name for themselves: BKFC president David Feldman

BKFC president David Feldman recently sat down with Sportskeeda MMA's Andrew Whitelaw to discuss the upcoming fight between Ostovich and VanZant. He talked about the reasoning behind such a matchup and also addressed the criticism BKFC received for making the fight.

"July 23rd, we have Paige VanZant vs. Rachel Ostovich on that. You know that matchup there, was the kind of matchup where everybody is kinda like what? What's going on here? Two very attractive young ladies fighting each other in bare-knuckle gloves and people are like what is going on. What is the intrigue? The intrigue is, it's something different. They get to challenge themselves," said Feldman.

Feldman also revealed that due to the sport's relative infancy, there is a legitimate window of opportunity for both Ostovich and VanZant to truly cement themselves as superstars.

"There's not that many fighters in bare-knuckle right now," stated Feldman. "So they have an opportunity to really stand out and make a name for themselves in a combat sport. In mixed martial arts, both of them, you know, they were well known but they weren't like superstars. Here, they both have the opportunity to become absolute superstars."

This will be VanZant's second bare-knuckle fight, as she faced off against Britain Hart in her debut for the promotion. While VanZant was unsuccessful in her first foray into the sport, she has not lost confidence and is now looking to put on a statement performance against Ostovich.

Ostovich is yet to compete for BKFC, having signed for the promotion after being cut from the UFC in 2020.

Watch the full interview with David Feldman here: