Paige VanZant and Austin Vanderford — possibly MMA’s most famous husband and wife duo — have recently been having some fun on their Instagram accounts. The kind of fun that doesn’t involve clothes.
Speaking to MMA Fighting recently, VanZant and Vanderford opened up on how this playful series of photos came about.
“Austin and I had taken a video of himself, or a picture in the gym, and I had glanced over and I was like, ‘Were you naked out there?’ And he was just wearing really short shorts,” VanZant told MMA Fighting. “Cause he works out in really tiny shorts.
“And I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I have the best idea ever,’ and so we just kind of staged it where I was on the medicine ball and he had our double-edged bag covering his butt. Then it just kind of sparked from there because people liked them so much.”
Vanderford, who grew up in Alaska, apparently didn’t need much convincing from VanZant.
“For one, I started wrestling since I was five, so I’ve been wearing one of those singlets my entire life so there isn’t a whole lot that it doesn’t show,” Vanderford said with a laugh. “That’s one. Two, before I left Alaska to move here to the states to go to school and all that, my mom gave me one word of advice before I left. She said ‘Austin, the rest of the world isn’t like Alaska. You can’t just go outside and go pee wherever you want. You can’t show yourself off, so be careful.’ Fast forward like a year later, and I actually got a ticket for ‘scattering rubbish’ cause I had peed in a park or something. There might have been a few beers involved.
“I’ve just never been shy about that. I have fun. My wife sees me naked all day everyday anyway, so I thought the rest of the world deserves it, too.”
VanZant went on to assure that this hilarious series of photos what not a publicity stunt. It was just about having fun.
“It’s not really a social media stunt – it’s not to get attention,” VanZant said. “I just think I want to spread the idea, we’ve been married for over a year and a half, and just to love your significant other, and have fun with them, and [show] how important it is to just make the most of the relationships that you have.
“We’re really just having a really good time and trying to spread love. We’re married, so I’m not embarrassed, I’m not shy about the way we live our life at all.”
What are your thoughts on the photos Paige VanZant and Austin Vanderford have been sharing on Instagram?
This article first appeared on BJPENN.com on 5/1/2020.