PAIGE VANZANT got involved in a furious bust-up BEFORE her Bare Knuckle boxing debut at Knucklemania.
The former UFC beauty steps into the ring for the first time tonight to battle Britain Hart at what promises to be a brutal encounter.
And the fireworks have already exploded between the pair at last night’s weigh-in.
A fired-up Hart wasted no time in getting right in VanZant’s face – prompting the ex-MMA star to shove and then grab her rival by the throat before officials stepped in to separate the women.
Hart blasted: “This ain’t f***ing MMA, you can’t choke.
“Get the f***ing rules right before you come into the f***ing game.
“How about that? Get the rules right. I will touch you first tomorrow.”
Hart continued to launch verbals after the staredown, with BKFC president David Feldman then stepping in to break them out.
The American, who is a huge star on social media, makes her Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship bow against former pro boxer Hart.
VanZant's shock and brutal switch comes having been released by the UFC, where she left with an 8-5 MMA record.
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And BKFC president David Feldman insists any fans sceptical of her transition should look at some of the ex-UFC star's gory battles in the cage as evidence she can take one to give one.
Feldman told SunSport: "People say she's an 'Instagram model', that kind of thing, but at the end of the day if you've seen her face in some of her fights she was a bloody mess.
"She's not afraid of bleeding, of getting hit, and this is what this sport is about – if you can get hit and throw a punch back you have a good chance of doing well.
"Paige is a tough girl, she didn't have to come to Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship, she came over to test herself.
"That says a lot about the kind of fighter and athlete that she is. Am I expecting her to transition well? Yes I am."
Feldman launched BKFC in 2018 and has since welcomed former UFC and boxing veterans into his promotion.
VanZant, 26, made headlines during the early weeks of the coronavirus pandemic with a series of risque social media snaps alongside husband Austin Vanderford.
Their naked antics, be it tending to their garden or baking in the kitchen while in the buff, attracted plenty of attention.
And that led to her opening her own website with exclusive content for paying fans.
Announcing the new website on Instagram, VanZant posed in a bubble bath with an 'Exclusive content' sign covering her body.
She captioned the pic: "I did it…"
The website promises to deliver 'an inside look' into the American's 'training and recovery' as she embarks on a Bare Knuckle career.
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