MMA News

Tag: Austin Vanderford

  • “Put Some Respect On His Name” – Fans & Fighters React As Underdog Ramiz Brahimaj Nails Head Kick And Submits Austin Vanderford At UFC 320

    “Put Some Respect On His Name” – Fans & Fighters React As Underdog Ramiz Brahimaj Nails Head Kick And Submits Austin Vanderford At UFC 320

    Though he came into the bout as the underdog in the eyes of oddsmakers, Ramiz Brahimaj was not going to let that kind of tag deter him. Instead, he turned things around on opponent Austin Vanderford and pulled off a highlight submission during the preliminary card of UFC 320.

    Vanderford controlled most of the first round with his grappling, taking the fight to the ground and controlling with top-heavy pressure. But things changed in the second round, as Brahimaj scored an offensive flurry that included a stunning head kick.

    The fight went to the ground again, but this time Brahimaj got Vanderford locked in a tight guillotine choke, scoring the submission less than a minute into the second round.

    Ramiz Brahimaj Upsets Austin Vanderford With Submission At UFC 320

    Brahimaj has won four of his last five, including three straight wins.

    Vanderford is 2-3 since challenging Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator middleweight title in February 2022. He made his UFC debut at UFC Seattle in February, defeating Nikolay Veretennikov.

  • Paige VanZant: Husband Austin Vanderford’s UFC Debut ‘Almost Felt More Special Than Any Of My Wins’

    Paige VanZant: Husband Austin Vanderford’s UFC Debut ‘Almost Felt More Special Than Any Of My Wins’

    Paige VanZant was proud as she watched Austin Vanderford announce his UFC arrival in style last month.

    Former title challenger Vanderford, the husband of former UFC fighter and recent GFL signing VanZant, signed with the UFC after entering free agency in February 2024.

    He made his debut on just days’ notice at the UFC Fight Night in Seattle on Feb. 22. Despite the lack of preparation, “The Gentlemen” impressed inside the Octagon by dominating and stopping Nikolay Veretennikov.

    During a recent interview with TMZ Sports, VanZant reflected on her man’s successful first foray into the cage on MMA’s biggest stage, admitting the moment might have surpassed her own triumphs in the UFC.

    “It almost felt more special than any of my wins,” VanZant said. “Just seeing him in that moment. He’s my best friend. Seeing him finally make the walk was incredible.

    “Now that he’s in, he’s in the UFC, it’s just playing that game of who they want him to be matched up with and going from there,” VanZant added. “He’s been training with me for this entire week, and all the coaches are like, ‘Hey, you need to take a few days off?’ But he’s like, ‘No, if I get another short notice (fight), I gotta be ready at any second.’”

    Vanderford no doubt secured his continued stay in the promotion and will look to keep his ball rolling when he makes his sophomore appearance in the Octagon.

    VanZant, meanwhile, awaits confirmation of the opponent and date for her GFL debut and MMA return. In the meantime, she’s gearing up for a third Power Slap clash this Friday in Las Vegas.

  • Dana White Surprisingly Sympathizes With UFC Seattle Fighter Who Pushed Austin Vanderford

    Dana White Surprisingly Sympathizes With UFC Seattle Fighter Who Pushed Austin Vanderford

    It would seem that Nikolay Veretennikov isn’t getting the kind of heat from the promotion that he is from the fanbase after his actions at UFC Seattle on Saturday night.

    This weekend, the Kazakh-born fighter fell to a second straight loss since joining the UFC. That was courtesy of former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford, who made a successful debut on just days’ notice.

    “The Gentlemen” was on the ascendancy from the start, and his grappling superiority ultimately paved the way for a TKO with ground strikes in the second round at UFC Seattle.

    Veretennikov was less than pleased with the stoppage and immediately disputed it. But rather than the official, the 35-year-old took his frustration out on Vanderford by shoving his victorious opponent.

    Many were quick to slate Veretennikov, with some even suggesting he was likely to be cut from his contract as a result of his UFC Seattle actions. That, however, doesn’t appear to be a sentiment shared by the higher-ups.

    “Listen, yeah, it’s never good when you go over (and push an opponent),” Dana White said during his post-fight press conference. “I don’t know why he went after him. I understand he was upset with the referee. And when you watch that fight, if you look, I get why he was upset. He was blocking a lot of the shots. He was blocking; he was still trying to get out of there.

    “If a guy is taking a number of just unanswered shots, and he’s laying there on the ground — he was defending and moving around, and so I understand why he’s upset,” White continued. “But yeah, you know how we are here. He went over and pushed the guy. What should we do?”

    In addition to his actions in the aftermath of Saturday’s UFC Seattle result, Veretennikov’s 0-2 Octagon record likely leaves him on thin ice in the UFC.

    Should he be granted another opportunity to have his hand raised on MMA’s biggest stage, it would no doubt be a must-win scenario for the 35-year-old.

  • ‘Can’t Touch Mr. VanZant And Not Get Walking Papers’ – Austin Vanderford Wins UFC Seattle Debut, Gets Assaulted By Opponent Post-Stoppage

    ‘Can’t Touch Mr. VanZant And Not Get Walking Papers’ – Austin Vanderford Wins UFC Seattle Debut, Gets Assaulted By Opponent Post-Stoppage

    Former Bellator standout and Dana White’s Contender Series alum Austin Vanderford came out on top in his UFC debut at UFC Seattle — and his opponent, Nikolay Veretennikov, may have simultaneously made his last appearance.

    Vanderford completely dominated the opening round, gaining top control with a takedown and riding out on top for about four of the five first-round minutes. The debutant showed little let up, with Veretennikov getting very limited offense in.

    After a little defense from Veretennikov, “The Gentleman” returned the fight to the ground and got back to work, overwhelming the Kazakh fighter en route to a solid second-round TKO.

    Following the fight, an upset Veretennikov could be seen shoving Vanderford during his post-fight celebration. This prompted the American to return a shove and flip Veretennikov off, also earning the defeated fighter a chorus of boos.

    Austin Vanderford Shoved By Nikolay Veretennikov Following UFC Seattle TKO

    Vanderford, the husband of former UFC fighter and current bare-knuckle boxer Paige VanZant, is 13-2 in MMA. He submitted Angelo Trevino in his DWCS appearance but was not given a contract.

    He then appeared in Bellator between 2019 and 2022, winning five straight fights before an unsuccessful challenge of then-Bellator middleweight champion Gegard Mousasi and a loss to Aaron Jeffrey.

    Meanwhile, this was Veretennikov’s second UFC appearance. He dropped a split decision to Danny Barlow in August.

  • Austin Vanderford, Husband Of Paige VanZant, Set For Late-Notice UFC Debut In Seattle

    Austin Vanderford, Husband Of Paige VanZant, Set For Late-Notice UFC Debut In Seattle

    Former Bellator title challenger Austin Vanderford is heading to the Octagon.

    Vanderford (12-2), who is the husband of former UFC fighter and recent GFL signing Paige VanZant, has signed with the UFC after entering free agency in February 2024.

    The signing was first reported by Kyle Dimond.

    And “The Gentleman” won’t have long to wait at all until his debut on mixed martial arts’ biggest stage.

    Per Full Send MMA, Vanderford will make the walk under the UFC banner for the first time at this weekend’s event in Seattle, Washington. The card has been plagued by withdrawals in recent days and weeks, leading to a late addition. Kazakhstan’s Nikolay Veretennikov will welcome newcomer Vanderford to the UFC.

    The 34-year-old Californian suffered his first professional defeat at the hands of Gegard Mousasi in 2022, unsuccessfully challenging the veteran’s Bellator middleweight reign. A second straight first-round loss to Aaron Jeffrey followed, and Vanderford didn’t compete again before his exit soon after the PFL’s acquisition of his previous employer.

    After returning to winning ways with a 65-second knockout at LFA 194 last October, “The Gentlemen” will look to start life in the UFC in similar fashion at the Climate Pledge Arena on Saturday night.

  • Bellator 275 Results & Highlights: Mousasi TKOs Vanderford

    Bellator 275 went down at the 3Arena in Dublin, Ireland today with a middleweight title fight between Gegard Mousasi and Bellator MMA’s No. 1 ranked middleweight,  Austin Vanderford.

    The 31-year-old Vanderford is known to casual fans of the sport for being the husband of Paige VanZant, but for anyone that has been paying attention, he’s definitely a world-class fighter.

    Mousasi is only a few years older than Vanderford but his experience in mixed martial arts competition was considered a key factor by pundits ahead of his title defense against Vandeford at Bellator 275.

    You can peep the highlights from the main event below followed by the Bellator 275 quick results!

    Gegard Mousasi def. Austin Vanderford

    https://twitter.com/VMSportIE/status/1497353383627403274

    Bellator 275 Quick Results

    Main Card

    Gegard Mousasi def. Austin Vanderford via TKO (punches): R1, 1:25

    Sinead Kavanagh def. Leah McCourt via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)

    Ciaran Clarke def. Abou Tounkara via TKO (shoulder injury): R1, 5:00

    Khasan Magomedsharipov def. Jose Sanchez via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-27×2)

    Jornel Lugo def. Brian Moore via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)

    Preliminary Card

    Brett Johns def. Khurshed Kakhorov via TKO (strikes): R3, 3:00

    Davy Gallon def. Charlie Leary via TKO (punches): R2, 3:01

    Stephanie Page def. Danni McCormack via TKO: R1, 1:46

    Darragh Kelly def. Junior Morgan via submission (guillotine choke): R1, 1:47

    Vladimir Tokov def. Daniele Scatizzi via unanimous decision (29-28×3)

    Gokhan Saricam def. Kirill Sidelnikov via unanimous decision (30-27×3)

    Nathan Kelly def. Scott Pedersen via unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28×2)

    Lee Hammond def. Jamie Hay via TKO: R1, 3:32

  • Paige VanZant Made A Sex Tape With Austin Vanderford

    Paige VanZant revealed some intimate information during a recent Q&A session with her fans, announcing that she’s made a sex tape with husband Austin Vanderford.

    Paige VanZant is one of the most recognized MMA stars in the world. Part of that is because of how much of herself she has exposed to the world: her creative side as a guest chef on Food Network’s Chopped, her artistic side as a performer on ABC’s Dancing With The Stars, and even her scholarly and personal side in penning her biography Rise: Surviving the Fight of My Life.

    VanZant has also become known for posting risque photos of herself on social media. In addition to her own collection, she also posed in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in 2019.

    Recently, however, it was revealed that there is some X-rated material of VanZant that, at least for the time being, are for two people’s eyes only. When asked if herself and husband Austin Vanderford would ever make a sex tape, the former UFC star dropped a bombshell.

    “Would I? We definitely already have. Would I ever share it, sell it, promote it? Hmm, that’s a different story,” VanZant said.

    As VanZant fans keep their fingers crossed in eager anticipation, “12 Gauge” will be preparing for another go in the BKFC sometime in the spring if all goes according to plan. She is currently 0-2 in the promotion after dropping fights to Britain Hart and fellow UFC alum Rachel Ostovich.

    As for hubby Austin Vanderford, he is currently scheduled to challenge Gegard Mousasi for the Bellator middleweight championship on February 25.

    What is your reaction to learning that a Paige VanZant sex tape exists out in the world?