MMA Fighting Share this story It’s one thing to compete in the world of bare-knuckle boxing. It’s another to watch your wife do it for the first time. That’s what Austin Vanderford experienced when he saw his wife Paige VanZant make her bare knuckle debut at February’s KnuckleMania event under the BKFC banner. VanZant took on Britain Hart and was on the wrong end of a five-round unanimous decision in her first fight since parting ways with the UFC in 2020. All in all, it was a learning experience, not just for VanZant in the ring, but for Vanderford as a husband and her No. 1 supporter.