August 3, 2025 • 5 mins
Bubba Startz welcomes Shyanna Bintliff, who shares her journey transitioning into Bare Knuckle Fighting. They delve into the behind-the-scenes aspects and the emotional impact fighting has on her life. Shyanna highlights the support and camaraderie within the fighting community, offering shoutouts to her training teams. The conversation emphasizes the importance of community support, providing listeners with a glimpse into the dedication and resilience required in this sport. The episode closes with reflections on the mutual encouragement within the fighting community and its significance in Shyanna's career.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You fight now Las Vegas, Nevada by way ofStargent.
(00:08):
Let's go.
It is Cheyenne.
Years ago.
So
That's so cool.
Been yeah.
Hey.
This is Bubba Starts with the Scene Project,Scene Project Sports Network.
I am here with the pride of South Dakota hereat the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship,
(00:30):
Shyanna Bentlev.
Shyanna, thanks for coming on the show.
Thanks for having me.
This is freaking amazing.
Right?
Yeah.
I'm excited.
Did you ever dream working rally as a kid thatyou would be here fighting center stage at the
Sturgis Buffalo Chip?
Nope.
I never thought that this would be a thing, soI'm excited that it is, though.
Well, and not just a thing, you know, newer tothe Buffalo Chip.
Right?
I know this is probably the at the second year,correct, that the Yep.
(00:52):
BKFC has been out here.
But new for you too.
Right?
I mean, are you relatively new to the fightinggame as well, or has this been something that's
a passion for you?
Your whole life is you know?
Not quite a whole life, but I started fightingabout seven years ago.
So I started in MMA, developed into boxing,which turned into bare knuckles.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Found a promotion that believes in you, you canjust go out there and and do what you wanna do,
(01:15):
which is beat the hell out of people.
Yep.
Yep.
It's a fun it's a fun fashion to have.
You guys get to see the the glam and the gloryof but it takes a lot behind the scenes to
Yeah.
Make it happen, and I think that's probably myfavorite part of it.
Well and I was blessed.
You kinda told me where where you were at onthe complex here doing your pre fight meetings,
and I got to kinda sneak in the back and to seeit all taking place and to realize what a large
(01:36):
production this is.
Right?
It's not just the fighters who have everythinginvested in it.
It's the promoters.
It's the medical teams in the background.
It's these training teams around the fightersas well.
We are big fight fans of yours.
Right?
But we're relatively new to the fight scene andespecially to the behind the scenes stuff.
So, yeah, you look at what we have here, andall of our viewers are gonna see it with the
content as it comes out.
This is the middle of the Surgess Buffalo chip.
(01:58):
There's gonna be 50,000 people here to hybrid.
Like, there's gonna be a ton of people herefor, you know, a South Dakota girl to go out
there and do what she's always dreamed ofdoing.
What is it like for you, not just fighting inthis league, but fighting here at home in front
of your family and friends and and to do this?
It's it's it's hard to put into words.
(02:19):
It's a you work really hard for it.
There's a lot of heart that goes into it aswell.
It's easy to get choked up about
Yeah.
That's good.
It's emotional.
It is.
It should be.
I can see it in your eyes now.
Right?
And and the people at home might not feel it.
But I think we're gonna see that in the ringtonight too as you're soaking it in.
And as that focus comes under you and you getfight ready, it's hard not to think about all
(02:44):
those hours spent in the gym and the familythat have invested in you as well.
Yeah.
It's it's not an easy road, this MMA orfighting game No.
Whatsoever.
No.
We all I mean, for the most part, a lot of us,like, leave home.
And so I've been gone from South Dakota for twoyears now.
Little coming up on two years.
Yeah.
And so most of my family's here.
(03:05):
I was born and raised here twenty six years ofmy life.
So everything I know was here, and I was like,you know, if I wanna go big with this, leaving
home is my best bet and going and adventuringand kinda checking out new places, working with
bigger teams.
And so that was the that was the hard part wasleaving home.
I love it.
I've had a lot of fun, but I love coming home.
Yeah.
Well and now you get to do it on the biggest ofstages.
(03:27):
You got a club that you're training with.
Go ahead and shout out your crew and give themthe props that they deserve because it it's a
lot more than just you showing up here.
Oh, absolutely.
So I live in Louisiana right now.
I have a whole team back there in Lake Charles,Louisiana.
And then I also have been training out of LasVegas at a Bones Adams boxing gym out there.
I got a team out there that's been super greatin helping me get ready.
My coach from Las Vegas is here.
(03:49):
My one in Louisiana, his one of our otherteammates, she fights UFC.
She just fought two weekends ago, and so he'sbeen busy, and we've all been busy going crazy.
A lot of them.
I have another friend or another fight friend.
He's fighting tonight.
One of my training partners back home, and sowe're all just kinda, like, bouncing around,
supporting each other, taking care of eachother
Yeah.
Beating the shit out of each other.
(04:09):
Well, and it's wild.
And it's a such a small promotion right nowthat, obviously, you you're gonna work
together.
You're gonna fight a lot of the same peopleover a course of time.
Yeah.
Inevitably, I think that builds, if maybe notfriendships, at least camaraderie, mutual
respect.
You're traveling around on the road together,so there has to be a little bit of that.
You can't hate everyone and continue to besuccessful in the sport.
Honestly, like, I never have any bad blood foranybody I fight.
(04:32):
I love getting to do it's a blessing that I getto do what I do.
I'm able-bodied.
I wake up every day able to do something that Ilove doing.
That's a blessing in itself.
Yeah.
Well, I am just blessed to be here with you tobe backstage at the Buffalo Chip.
Looking at the ring, you're gonna be in there,going toe to toe and not just, you know, for
yourself and for your family, but the wholestate of South Dakota.
(04:53):
You know, we're behind you, and you've reallybeen pushing that.
I'm coming home.
Please come out and support me, and I hopethat, you can hear us out in the crowd cheering
you on.
I will.
Yeah.
There's a lot of people coming tonight, and I'mreally excited.
Good.
Well, Shyanna, thank you so much for being onthe show, and good luck tonight.
Thank you so much.
Kick some butt.
Yeah, girl.
You fight now Las Vegas, Nevada by way ofStargent.
(00:08):
Let's go.
It is Cheyenne.
Years ago.
So
That's so cool.
Been yeah.
Hey.
This is Bubba Starts with the Scene Project,Scene Project Sports Network.
I am here with the pride of South Dakota hereat the Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship,
(00:30):
Shyanna Bentlev.
Shyanna, thanks for coming on the show.
Thanks for having me.
This is freaking amazing.
Right?
Yeah.
I'm excited.
Did you ever dream working rally as a kid thatyou would be here fighting center stage at the
Sturgis Buffalo Chip?
Nope.
I never thought that this would be a thing, soI'm excited that it is, though.
Well, and not just a thing, you know, newer tothe Buffalo Chip.
Right?
I know this is probably the at the second year,correct, that the Yep.
(00:52):
BKFC has been out here.
But new for you too.
Right?
I mean, are you relatively new to the fightinggame as well, or has this been something that's
a passion for you?
Your whole life is you know?
Not quite a whole life, but I started fightingabout seven years ago.
So I started in MMA, developed into boxing,which turned into bare knuckles.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Found a promotion that believes in you, you canjust go out there and and do what you wanna do,
(01:15):
which is beat the hell out of people.
Yep.
Yep.
It's a fun it's a fun fashion to have.
You guys get to see the the glam and the gloryof but it takes a lot behind the scenes to
Yeah.
Make it happen, and I think that's probably myfavorite part of it.
Well and I was blessed.
You kinda told me where where you were at onthe complex here doing your pre fight meetings,
and I got to kinda sneak in the back and to seeit all taking place and to realize what a large
(01:36):
production this is.
Right?
It's not just the fighters who have everythinginvested in it.
It's the promoters.
It's the medical teams in the background.
It's these training teams around the fightersas well.
We are big fight fans of yours.
Right?
But we're relatively new to the fight scene andespecially to the behind the scenes stuff.
So, yeah, you look at what we have here, andall of our viewers are gonna see it with the
content as it comes out.
This is the middle of the Surgess Buffalo chip.
(01:58):
There's gonna be 50,000 people here to hybrid.
Like, there's gonna be a ton of people herefor, you know, a South Dakota girl to go out
there and do what she's always dreamed ofdoing.
What is it like for you, not just fighting inthis league, but fighting here at home in front
of your family and friends and and to do this?
It's it's it's hard to put into words.
(02:19):
It's a you work really hard for it.
There's a lot of heart that goes into it aswell.
It's easy to get choked up about
Yeah.
That's good.
It's emotional.
It is.
It should be.
I can see it in your eyes now.
Right?
And and the people at home might not feel it.
But I think we're gonna see that in the ringtonight too as you're soaking it in.
And as that focus comes under you and you getfight ready, it's hard not to think about all
(02:44):
those hours spent in the gym and the familythat have invested in you as well.
Yeah.
It's it's not an easy road, this MMA orfighting game No.
Whatsoever.
No.
We all I mean, for the most part, a lot of us,like, leave home.
And so I've been gone from South Dakota for twoyears now.
Little coming up on two years.
Yeah.
And so most of my family's here.
(03:05):
I was born and raised here twenty six years ofmy life.
So everything I know was here, and I was like,you know, if I wanna go big with this, leaving
home is my best bet and going and adventuringand kinda checking out new places, working with
bigger teams.
And so that was the that was the hard part wasleaving home.
I love it.
I've had a lot of fun, but I love coming home.
Yeah.
Well and now you get to do it on the biggest ofstages.
(03:27):
You got a club that you're training with.
Go ahead and shout out your crew and give themthe props that they deserve because it it's a
lot more than just you showing up here.
Oh, absolutely.
So I live in Louisiana right now.
I have a whole team back there in Lake Charles,Louisiana.
And then I also have been training out of LasVegas at a Bones Adams boxing gym out there.
I got a team out there that's been super greatin helping me get ready.
My coach from Las Vegas is here.
(03:49):
My one in Louisiana, his one of our otherteammates, she fights UFC.
She just fought two weekends ago, and so he'sbeen busy, and we've all been busy going crazy.
A lot of them.
I have another friend or another fight friend.
He's fighting tonight.
One of my training partners back home, and sowe're all just kinda, like, bouncing around,
supporting each other, taking care of eachother
Yeah.
Beating the shit out of each other.
(04:09):
Well, and it's wild.
And it's a such a small promotion right nowthat, obviously, you you're gonna work
together.
You're gonna fight a lot of the same peopleover a course of time.
Yeah.
Inevitably, I think that builds, if maybe notfriendships, at least camaraderie, mutual
respect.
You're traveling around on the road together,so there has to be a little bit of that.
You can't hate everyone and continue to besuccessful in the sport.
Honestly, like, I never have any bad blood foranybody I fight.
(04:32):
I love getting to do it's a blessing that I getto do what I do.
I'm able-bodied.
I wake up every day able to do something that Ilove doing.
That's a blessing in itself.
Yeah.
Well, I am just blessed to be here with you tobe backstage at the Buffalo Chip.
Looking at the ring, you're gonna be in there,going toe to toe and not just, you know, for
yourself and for your family, but the wholestate of South Dakota.
(04:53):
You know, we're behind you, and you've reallybeen pushing that.
I'm coming home.
Please come out and support me, and I hopethat, you can hear us out in the crowd cheering
you on.
I will.
Yeah.
There's a lot of people coming tonight, and I'mreally excited.
Good.
Well, Shyanna, thank you so much for being onthe show, and good luck tonight.
Thank you so much.
Kick some butt.
Yeah, girl.
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