Austin Vanderford looked great in his second promotional appearance at Bellator 225, utilizing his wrestling and elbows to win by doctor’s stoppage at the end of two rounds.
Austin Vanderford, famously the husband of UFC flyweight Paige VanZant, is undefeated at 7-0 in his career. Vanderford won on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2018 by rear-naked choke, but it wasn’t enough to earn a contract. He’s earned stoppages in all three of his fights since then, including his Bellator debut, which he won by arm-triangle in February.
Joseph Creer got off to a strange start to his MMA career, fighting to a draw in his professional debut. He is 6-0 since then, including a fight in the Monster Energy Bellator MMA Fight Series, which took place at an auto race. Of his six wins, two have come by stoppage.
Not much was happening on the feet in this fight early on. Vanderford was swinging for the fences, but coming up short. He seized the momentum of the fight early by getting a takedown two minutes in. From there, it was all Vanderford. Creer just wasn’t making progress in terms of returning to his feet, and Vanderford peppered away until the end of the round.
😲💪Big takedown for @AustinV170MMA in the 1st round!#Bellator225 pic.twitter.com/QOT1ahGckq
— Bellator MMA (@BellatorMMA) August 24, 2019
Early in the second round, Vanderford scored another takedown, and that was all he needed. Elbows and punches cut open Creer, who again struggled to get up. Vanderford’s ground-and-pound was top-notch and consistent, and Creer had no answer. At the end of the round, the doctor determined that the cut was too severe for Creer to continue, giving Austin Vanderford his second Bellator victory.
Austin Vanderford def. Joseph Creer by TKO (Doctor’s Stoppage) in Round 2 (5:00)
