Bellator 215: Mitrione vs. Kharitonov - Predictions and Picks

#6 Austin Vanderford vs. Cody Jones

The UFC's decision not to sign Austin Vanderford was surprising

I’ll be honest and say I’m baffled as to why the UFC didn’t sign Vanderford up when they had the chance in 2018. For those unaware, ‘AK-47’ is the husband of Paige VanZant, and as you might’ve imagined, he looks like a male model and fights pretty well, too. He even won his fight on Dana White’s Contender Series with a second-round submission, but apparently, that wasn’t enough to earn him a UFC deal.

It’s a confusing one; sure, he didn’t look great standing in that fight with Angelo Trevino, but he showed a lot of toughness to bounce back from a first round knockdown, and then hurt Trevino before choking him out in the second. Would he be a UFC title contender? Of course not, but he certainly would’ve been good enough for their roster.

At any rate, the UFC’s loss has been Bellator’s gain, as Vanderford signed with them last year and subsequently won his promotional debut by first round knockout. This upcoming fight against Cody Jones appears to be another potential showcase for him, too.

Jones – 4-2 in MMA and making his Bellator debut – appears to be undersized for 170lbs, nothing like Vanderford, who has quite an impressive physique. And footage on him shows a semi-tough fighter who’s defensively questionable, particularly on the feet. I’m happy to guess that Bellator’s promotional machine want to get behind Vanderford as a potential star, and to that end they’re likely taking baby steps and matching him well.

The Pick: Vanderford via first round submission