UFC signs Paige VanZant’s husband Austin Vanderford, to fight this weekend

Austin Vanderford has landed in the UFC.

Husband to former UFC star Paige VanZant, Vanderford tried to join her in the big show back in 2018, fighting for a contract on Dana White's Contender Series. A second-round submission win for Vanderford wasn't enough to sway White and the UFC brass, the undefeated prospect going on to become a title challenger and veteran in Bellator MMA.

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Vanderford Sets Debut For UFC Seattle

The only losses on Vanderford's 12-2 record are to then-champ Gegard Mousasi and Aaron Jeffery, which he bounced back from in the LFA with a first-round TKO win in October. On Tuesday, it was announced Jeffery had signed with the UFC and would be making his debut on days' notice.

Vanderford won't have a full camp or anything close to it for his UFC debut, the Portland-native fighting close to home at UFC Seattle this Saturday. The Fight Night card has seen many cancellations as of late, a new fight finally getting added.

First UFC Fight For Vanderford

Vanderford's first opponent in the Octagon? Nikolay Veretennikov. The Kazakhstan-born fighter is 12-5, coming off a split decision loss to Danny Barlow in his debut. Vanderford vs. Veretennikov will go down at a catchweight at 175lbs. The bout was first reported by Full Send MMA.

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You might see him as 'Mr. VanZant' on social media, but don't let his marriage with Paige VanZant fool you, Vanderford can compete at the highest level, beating Fabian Edwards in 2021 and fighting then-champion Gegard Mousasi a year later for the belt.

At 34, we'll see what's in store for Vanderford in the UFC. Unfortunately for him, his wife Paige is no longer in the promotion, having left years ago. VanZant recently signed to new MMA promotion GFL.

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