Austin Vanderford secured a second-round TKO victory over Nikolay Veretennikov at UFC Fight Night 252 in Seattle. The win marked Vanderford’s first in the UFC, which he achieved after six years of competition on DWCS.
Vanderford credited his success to a change in weight class from middleweight (185 lbs) to welterweight (170 lbs). He believes that making the move has made it easier for him to compete at the higher level. The 26-year-old expressed confidence in his abilities, stating that he wants to be “really active” this year and potentially make a push for a title shot.
After the fight, Vanderford was critical of Veretennikov’s behavior, suggesting that the Russian fighter may be cut from the UFC for pushing him after the bout. However, Vanderford showed no hard feelings towards his opponent, stating that he understands the sacrifices required to compete at a high level.
Vanderford is now looking to get back to work and secure his next fight, with the possibility of competing on a card in Miami later this year.
Source: https://mmajunkie.usatoday.com/2025/02/ufc-seattle-video-austin-vanderford-prediction-nikolay-veretennikov-fired-shove