Paige VanZant could only watch from a distance as her husband Austin Vanderford suffered a gruesome TKO defeat to Gegard Mousasi at Bellator 275.
The middleweight title challenger looked out of his depth from the outset in Dublin and lasted only 85 seconds before the referee waved to end the fight - with former UFC star VanZant watching on.
Vanderford, 31, came into the clash with a pristine 11-0 record but suffered the first defeat of his career in convincing fashion, with Bellator middleweight champion Mousasi at no point looking troubled, repots The Star.
'The Gentleman' was stung early on and shot to get his opponent to the ground, but he appeared to catch a knee to the head and swiftly curled into a defensive ball as Mousasi unleashed a torrent of elbows and punches.
Mousasi, 36, has now successfully defended his crown on two occasions in his second run as Bellator's middleweight king, having previously won the belt before losing to Rafael Lovato Jr. in 2019.
'The Dreamcatcher' was previously a star of the UFC and Strikeforce before moving to Bellator in 2017, going 7-1 in his eight fights under their banner since then.
It's remarkable the triumph only counts as the 10th-quickest victory of Mousasi's career, with the kickboxing phenomenon having cultivated a reputation as one of the finest strikers of his generation.
The former Strikeforce (light heavyweight) and Cage Warriors (middleweight) world champion--who boasts a remarkable 49-7-2 record--once finished three consecutive fights in a combined 85 seconds early in his career.
That's the same length of time Vanderford managed to last opposite the Dutch dynamo, who was unsurprisingly full of confidence after such a commanding victory.
"I was just taking my time," Mousasi said in his post-fight interview. "I'm the best middleweight - I never said that [before] because I didn't believe it, but I believe it.
"I'm good, I'm confident - I'm telling you I'm the best. I've never been so confident in my life."
VanZant, 27, did her bit to lift her beau's spirits following his first professional loss, taking to Instagram to post a message of support.
She shared a black and white picture of the pair embracing backstage, alongside the captaion: "Forever my champ."
Vanderford made his own attempt to join the UFC after a 2018 submission win over Angelo Trevino on Dana White's Contender Series, a competition in which mixed martial artists can win a contract with the promotion.
He wasn't called up to sign a deal with the world's biggest MMA company, however, and instead made his way to Bellator where he finished his first two fights in style.
Inexperience proved a key factor as Vanderford ultimately paid the price for his ill-conceived takedown attempt on one of the sport's most wizened figures.
VanZant hasn't fought herself since suffering a unanimous-decision defeat to Rachael Ostovich last July in her second Bare Knuckle Boxing appearance.
She's 0-2 in bare knuckle boxing and has hinted at a return to mixed martial arts in the future, possibly joining husband Vanderford as a Bellator combatant.
Get the latest sports headlines straight to your inbox by signing up for free email alerts
