Did Paige VanZant date Cody Garbrandt? Exploring the relationship between former Team Alpha Male teammates
Paige VanZant and Cody Garbrandt are among the most recognizable professional MMA fighters. The pair rose to prominence in the mid-2010s as a part of the UFC's young brigade.
As fighters gain popularity, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep their personal lives away from the glitter and glamor of the sports entertainment industry. Garbrandt and VanZant's personal life also became public knowledge as their popularity grew with time.
Did Paige VanZant date Cody Garbrandt?
Paige VanZant dated Cody Garbrandt for less than one year in 2015. Both fighters are the product of Sacramento-based Team Alpha Male and met each other at the gym.
Their friendship flourished into a romantic relationship and the couple started dating. Following his win over Henry Briones at UFC 189, Garbrandt shed light on different aspects of his relationship with VanZant. He said:
"We're just enjoying life. We're on the same team and enjoy each other's company. I'm excited for her career and her success and her career and I'm glad that I can be able to help out on our journey together."
Catch Cody Garbrandt's comments below (7:00):
The relationship came to an end a couple of months later. While speaking to Ariel Helwani before her UFC 191 showdown against Alex Chambers, VanZant said:
"We're both focused on our careers. So we put that on the back burner. We're both very determined to be UFC champions. So we're putting that to the side for a while."
VanZant clarified that she and Garbdandt separated on good terms and remained good friends, training partners, and teammates after the breakup. She claimed that the goal of becoming UFC champion occupied a large chunk of their lives and it was not possible to make a romantic relationship work under those circumstances.
Catch Paige VanZant's comments below (3:45):
Paige VanZant and Cody Garbrandt never came back together
Despite having separated on good terms to focus on their careers, Cody Garbrandt and Paige VanZant never got back together.
Garbrandt started dating Danny Pimsanguan and the couple got married in 2017. Their son was born in March 2018 and the couple filed for divorce in 2023. Pimsanguan and Garbrandt appear to be on good terms and have decided to share the parenting responsibility for their son.
Meanwhile, VanZant started dating NAIA All-American and national champion wrestler and MMA fighter Austin Vanderford in 2017. The couple tied the knot in September 2018 and seemed to enjoy a stable married life.
On the professional front, Garbrandt continues to be a part of the UFC roster while VanZant has tried her hand at different ventures. She will make her professional boxing debut against Misfits boxing women's middleweight champion Elle Brooke on May 25.