Austin Vanderford
Vanderford at the 2018Web Summit
Born	(1990-03-21)March 21, 1990 (age 35) Santa Rosa, California, U.S.
Nickname	The Gentleman
Height	5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg; 13 st 3 lb)
Division	Middleweight Welterweight
Reach	74 in (188 cm)
Style	Wrestling
Fighting out of	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Team	Gracie Barra Portland
Years active	2017–present
Mixed martial arts record
Total	16
Wins	13
By knockout	5
By submission	3
By decision	5
Losses	3
By knockout	2
By submission	1
Amateur record
Total	4
Wins	4
By knockout	1
By submission	2
By decision	1
Other information
Spouse	Paige VanZant ​ (m. 2018)​
Mixed martial arts record fromSherdog
Medal record Collegiate Wrestling RepresentingSouthern Oregon University NAIA Championships 2012 Des Moines 184 lb

Austin Vanderford (born March 21, 1990) is an American professionalmixed martial artist, who competes in theMiddleweight division of theUltimate Fighting Championship (UFC). He previously fought inBellator MMA, where he contended for theBellator Middleweight World Championship.

Vanderford was born inSanta Rosa, California, before moving at the age of 9 months old toNinilchik, Alaska. He would develop a taste for competitive sport whilewrestling for his high school team, where he became a 2-timeAlaska State Wrestling Champion (2007-160 lbs, 2006-152 lbs) in his junior and senior years.

Vanderford wrestled atSouthern Oregon University, becoming theNAIA National Wrestling Champion in 2012 (184 lbs.) and was a 2-time NAIA All-American wrestler. After finishing his college career graduating with a bachelor's degree, he took up a coaching job with the university for a couple of years, before following his desire to fight competitively. Vanderford would win all four bouts of his amateur career as a welterweight.^[1][2][3][4]

Making his professional debut at Prime Fighting 9 on March 11, 2017, Vanderford faced Sol Renato, going on to defeat him via TKO in first round. He went on to defeat his next two opponents, Adam Fugitt andBen Fodor, both via unanimous decisions, winning the CageSport Welterweight title against the later at CageSport 47.^[5] He would go on to tap out Kenny Licea in the second round via rear-naked choke at VFC 59, before he was invited to face Angelo Trevino on July 17, 2018, atDana White's Contender Series 13. He won the fight via a rear-naked choke in round two, however did not secure a contract with the UFC.^[6] In his last bout on the regionals, Vanderford faced Brazil's Edmilson Freitas, knocking him out in the first round.^[7]

After going undefeated in 6 bouts on the regional scene, Vanderford signed a multi-fight contract withBellator MMA.^[8][9]

In his debut appearance with Bellator MMA atBellator 215 on February 15, 2019, he took on Cody Jones and submitted him via arm-triangle choke in the first round.^[10]

Vanderford faced Joseph Creer atBellator 225 on August 25, 2019, winning the bout after the doctor stopped the fight after the second round.^[11]

On November 15, 2019, atBellator 234, he faced Russian submission specialist Grachik Bozinyan, defeating him via unanimous decision.^[12]

Vanderford was scheduled to face Daniel Madrid on September 12, 2020, atBellator 246.^[13] However, he had to pull out of the bout for unknown reasons.^[14]

Vanderford was scheduled to face Chris Curtis on November 5, 2020, atBellator 251.^[15] However, Curtis had to pull out of the bout due to a positive COVID test and was replaced by Vinicius de Jesus.^[16] Vanderford won the bout via unanimous decision.^[17][18]

Vanderford facedFabian Edwards on May 21, 2021, atBellator 259, defeating him via unanimous decision.^[19]

Vanderford fought for theBellator Middleweight World Championship againstGegard Mousasi atBellator 275 on February 25, 2022, at the3Arena inDublin, Ireland.^[20] He lost the fight via technical knockout in round one.^[21]

Vanderford was scheduled to face Anthony Adams atBellator 284 on August 12, 2022.^[22] After Adams pulled out of the bout 2 weeks before the event, Aaron Jeffery stepped in on short notice.^[23] He lost the bout in the first round via TKO stoppage.^[24]

Vanderford was scheduled to face Imamshafi Aliev on June 16, 2023 atBellator 297.^[25] However, at the beginning of June, the bout was scrapped for unknown reasons.^[26]

On February 14, 2024, Vanderford revealed that he negotiated his release from Bellator MMA.^[27]

On February 18, 2025, it was reported that Vanderford had signed with theUltimate Fighting Championship. He faced Nikolay Veretennikov on February 22, 2025 atUFC Fight Night 252 in a 175-pound catchweight bout.^[28] He won the fight by technical knockout in the second round.^[29]

Vanderford was scheduled to faceRamiz Brahimaj on October 4, 2025 atUFC 320.^[30] He lost the fight via a guillotine choke submission in the second round.^[31]

Vanderford was scheduled to face Jean-Paul Lebosnoyani on February 21, 2026, atUFC Fight Night 267.^[32] However, Vanderford withdrew for undisclosed reasons and was replaced byPhilip Rowe.^[33]

In September 2018, Vanderford marriedPaige VanZant, a former UFC strawweight.^[34] The couple began dating the previous year,^[35][36] and Vanderford proposed to VanZant in January 2018.^[37]

• CageSport
  • CS Welterweight Championship (One time; former)^[5]

? Matches, ? Wins (? Submissions), ? Losses (? Submissions), ? Draws
Result	Rec.	Opponent	Method	Event	Division	Date	Location
Loss	2–2–0	Gabriel Checco	Submission (rear-naked choke)	Submission Underground 14		May 31, 2020	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
win	2–1–0	Richie Martinez	Submission (arm triangle choke)	Submission Underground 13		April 26, 2020	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
win	1–1–0	Micah Brakefield	Submission (arm triangle choke)	Submission Underground 11		February 23, 2020	Portland, Oregon, U.S.
Loss	0–1–0	Jake Shields	Fastest Escape Time	Submission Underground 8		May 12, 2019	Portland, Oregon, U.S.

^[38]

• List of male mixed martial artists

• Professional MMA record for Austin Vanderford fromSherdog
• Austin Vanderford atBellator

• 1990 births
• Living people
• American male mixed martial artists
• Middleweight mixed martial artists
• Mixed martial artists utilizing collegiate wrestling
• American male sport wrestlers
• Southern Oregon Raiders men's wrestlers
• People from Kenai Peninsula Borough, Alaska
• Bellator male fighters
• 21st-century American sportsmen

• Articles with Brazilian Portuguese-language sources (pt-br)
• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use mdy dates from October 2024