Austin Vanderford Record: 13-3-0

Bellator title run and the road back

Vanderford's MMA rise carried him to 11-0 and a Bellator middleweight title shot. Along the way he outpointed Fabian Edwards by unanimous decision at Bellator 259 in May 2021, a marquee win over a top contender. The championship opportunity in February 2022 was a harsh lesson: veteran Gegard Mousasi stopped him with punches in the first round at Bellator 275. He suffered a second straight first-round TKO loss to Aaron Jeffery at Bellator 284 later that year, a rough stretch that prompted a reset. After rebuilding with a first-round finish on the regional scene, he reached the UFC and announced himself with a second-round TKO of Nikolay Veretennikov in February 2025. His next outing, against Ramiz Brahimaj at UFC 320 in October 2025, ended in a second-round guillotine-choke submission loss.

Fighting style

Vanderford is a wrestler first, using elite takedowns and top control to dictate where fights happen, but his record shows real finishing versatility – his 13 wins break down into five knockouts, three submissions and five decisions, a roughly 62 percent finish rate. The grappling base lets him grind out rounds and set up arm-triangle chokes, while his hands have grown sharp enough to end fights standing. The cautionary thread is his chin against elite punchers: both of his Bellator-era losses came by first-round knockout against high-level strikers, and his most recent defeat came by submission, marking the areas opponents will continue to target.

Career highlights

• Bellator middleweight title challenger — reached 11-0 and earned a championship shot against Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 275.
• Signature win over a top contender — outpointed Fabian Edwards by unanimous decision at Bellator 259.
• Winning UFC arrival — stopped Nikolay Veretennikov with strikes in the second round to debut in the promotion with a finish.