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.
