Austin Vanderford’s night ended in heartbreak at UFC 320. Ramiz Brahimaj submitted him in the second round.
Vanderford entered as the favorite but was rocked by a head kick and trapped in a guillotine choke soon after.
Watching from his corner, Paige VanZant could only look on. Blood poured from a deep cut above Vanderford’s eye.
“There’s a special kind of beauty in chasing a dream that might break your heart,” VanZant said on Instagram.
“Tonight wasn’t his night, but it was still his story—written with courage and passion,” she added proudly.
She posted photos from fight week and ended with a shot of the gruesome cut above her husband’s eyebrow.
The injury will likely sideline Vanderford until next year. “He’ll heal and rise again,” VanZant wrote.
At 35, Vanderford still has at least one fight left on his UFC contract. He’ll need a win to stay on.
A potential comeback bout against Ozzy Diaz could be next—an exciting chance for redemption inside the Octagon.
