Austin Vanderford TKOs Nikolay Veretennikov at UFC Seattle
Austin Vanderford made his debut for the promotion with a second-round TKO of Nikolay Veretennikov at Climate Pledge Arena on February 22, 2025. Their bout was contested at a 175-pound catchweight, rather than at welterweight. Vanderford stopped Veretennikov with strikes at 4:13 of Round 2, according to the official scorecards. The result gave the former Bellator contender an emphatic start after he accepted a late opportunity to join the Seattle card.
The ESPN MMA clip above focuses on the tense exchange after the stoppage, when Veretennikov shoved Vanderford. It is not a replay of the finish. The fight itself turned on Vanderford’s grappling: he worked to take Veretennikov down, attacked from top position, and kept him defending until the referee stepped in. The official event recap describes a second-round stoppage by strikes. The video captures the post-fight reaction that followed that result, including the brief altercation before officials separated the athletes.
Vanderford had fought as a middleweight for much of his career and had previously competed for Bellator’s 185-pound title. Seattle marked his move into the promotion’s welterweight roster, although the contest itself was set at 175 pounds. His size and grappling helped him control the bout once he brought Veretennikov to the mat. The result also gave him a useful showcase in front of the Pacific Northwest crowd, where he had trained during his career. The official weigh-in listing identifies the fight as a 175-pound catchweight.
Vanderford’s next appearance came on the October 2025 card, where Ramiz Brahimaj submitted him with a guillotine choke at 2:24 of Round 2. That was his only subsequent bout through October 2026. His official fighter history and the October scorecards record the loss and method.
Veretennikov also continued competing after Seattle. He won a split decision over Austin Vanderford at UFC 318, then lost to Punahele Soriano in October. In 2026, he stopped Niko Price in the first round on February 7 before Khaos Williams stopped him in Round 1 on May 16. The official fighter history records the sequence. The Seattle result therefore sits within a turbulent stretch for both men: Vanderford won his debut but later suffered a submission loss, while Veretennikov rebounded with one finish before falling to Williams.
Vanderford’s Seattle performance remains a clear debut statement: a TKO by strikes at 4:13 of Round 2 in a 175-pound catchweight bout. The official scorecards preserve the finish, and the ESPN clip gives a look at the emotions that followed. Those records frame the bout as both a successful first night for Vanderford and a difficult loss for Veretennikov.
