Former UFC star Paige VanZant was cornering her husband Austin Vanderford for his UFC debut and shared a special backstage moment after his dominant win.

The UFC boss was cageside as Austin Vanderford marked his long-awaited UFC debut with a TKO win over Nikolay Veretennikov. His wife Paige VanZant was in the corner as he dominated over two rounds before eventually finishing the fight on the ground.

Austin Vanderford vs. Nikolay Veretennikov earlier tonight (Sat., Feb. 22, 2025) LIVE on ESPN+ from inside Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Washington.

Former UFC star Paige VanZant couldn't contain her excitement after husband Austin Vanderford came up big in his long-awaited UFC debut.

Things got a bit ugly post-fight. Veretennikov pushed Paige VanZant ‘s partner, who didn’t back down and responded by making a crude gesture before continuing his post-fight celebrations with a raucous crowd in the Emerald City.

Austin Vanderford made the most of his short notice opportunity with an impressive second round stoppage at UFC Seattle before his opponent Nikolay Veretennikov shoved him afterwards in a fit of anger that could very well end his career with the promotion.