At 52, world-renowned rugby hall of famer Phaidra Knight is trading the pitch for the cage as she prepares to make her Madison Square Garden debut, where she will be competing as a newly christened MMA fighter.
Knight will face Soledad Zapata at the Infosys Theater MSG on Saturday, Sept. 26 at “Flex Fight Series 62: American Muscle”, in just her third MMA fight of her career.
Knight’s accomplishments in rugby range from winning national championships, all-world team honors and becoming a three-time Rugby world cup veteran. She was awarded the 2000s Rugby Player of the Decade. She also became the only second American player and first African-American ever to be inducted into the prestigious World Rugby Hall of Fame.
Nonetheless, following retirement at age 43, Knight made the bold decision to venture into mixed martial arts and began training under the tutelage of Renzo Gracie in New York.
“When I was playing rugby, I was a big fish in a very little pond. It was massive to go from someone who was very well-known with mastery in a sport to becoming someone else in a different industry,” Knight said.
She compiled a staggering 5-0 amateur MMA record beginning in 2021 before transitioning to pro at 50 years old in early-2025 as a consistent feature for the promotional events hosted by combat sports organization Flex Fights.
“When I was playing rugby, I was younger. I didn’t have the challenges then that I have now, which come naturally with aging. When you’re aging as an athlete, you’re dealing with more things that you have to restore,” Knight said.
Knight claims that being able to inspire other people is what motivates her to step into the cage at her age.
“There’s someone out there that’s going to hear my story and they’re going to be inspired to look beyond limitations that have been set by others which exist in our society. They’re going to push themselves to go further,” Knight said.
Knight also claims that her new MMA career is a discovery process into the world of athletic longevity and bio-hacking by integrating cutting-edge sports science into her game.
“One of the things we say in rugby is, ‘you get knocked down but you get back up’, and that mentality was ingrained in me because that’s a significantly core part of this game. The armour that I built in rugby has certainly served me well in MMA,” Knight said.
Knight made her professional MMA debut on Feb. 22, 2025, defeating Despina Karavas by way of submission with a bulldog choke in the first round at 50 years old.
“That victory proved to me that I could do it, that I belonged and that I was not a complete fish out of water. It proved to me that there was still a lot of work to do because even though the fight ended in the first round, it didn’t start off that well for me. It taught me that in the eye of the storm, you can still prevail and not give up,” Knight said.
She followed this fight with a loss by way of submission against Kylie O’Hearn, who used a rear-naked choke on Jun. 28, 2025. Knight has since cemented this 1-1 MMA record.
“When it concerns my loss, what I had to deal with as a fighter that most don’t have to, is menopause. I learned that I had a lot of work to do with my health. I had to approach my career very differently if I was going to have any longevity and success in MMA. I needed to biologically dial it back and it took me a year to do that,” Knight said.
Knight noted that she is very excited to finally compete at Madison Square Garden and fulfill her dream of making her mark in mainstream New York sports culture.
“It’s the most spectacular sports venue in the world. It means everything. It’s pinnacle. I never imagined this and it’s a really humbling opportunity for me that I can’t even express in words,” Knight said.
Knight follows in the footsteps of legendary MMA fighters such as Randy Couture and Dan Henderson who competed in their middle ages.
In 1994, Ron Van Clief made history by competing at 51 years old against Royce Gracie at UFC 5.
“There’s a broader mission here. It’s not just a sport; it’s about the human spirit and human capacity. It’s where we are in this day and time as it concerns longevity. I’m here to prove that you can still be elite and world-class in your 50s,” Knight said.
Knight will be fighting Soledad Zapata on Saturday, Sept. 26. You can purchase your tickets at msg.com.
“Because I took the time off to really learn about the reasons why I lost that last fight, it’s going to serve me well,” Knight said.
