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Paige VanZant Tries — and Fails — to Drown Husband in 'Experiment': 'Not Even Close'

Paige VanZant is a UFC star, but that doesn’t mean she’s got the strength to drown her MMA fighter husband in their bathtub — at his request.

VanZant, 26, playfully tried — and failed — to see if she could hold husband Austin Vanderford underwater as part of an “experiment” the couple documented on Instagram Monday night.

“Question of the night: Is it possible for my wife to hold me underwater and drown me?” Vanderford, 30, wrote on a video shared to his Instagram Story. “I truly wanted her to give it 100 percent.”

He later issued a disclaimer, writing that he was “not making light of anything,” but was “genuinely curious” if VanZant was physically able to drown him.

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Can I drown my husband?? @austinv170mma

A post shared by Paige VanZant (@paigevanzant) on May 25, 2020 at 10:15pm PDT

Vanderford shared video of a laughing VanZant sitting on the edge of their bathtub as she explained that although she gave it her best shot, the experiment was a bust, and Vanderford was able to emerge from her grip “in a second.”

“I did genuinely think I could hold you underwater,” the former Dancing with the Stars contestant said. “If I got your head … This is weird. Anyways, no, I can’t hold you underwater.”

Vanderford — whom VanZant wed in September 2018 — later joked that the attempt was all just a ruse to get the athlete to fawn over his strength, and to give himself “a little ego boost.”

“Truthfully, he was just trying to get me to say, ‘Yes, baby, I’m so blown away by how strong you are,’ ” she said.

Gabe Ginsberg/FilmMagic Paige VanZant

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As for the origins of the unconventional weeknight activity, Vanderford said it stemmed from thoughts he sometimes has while bathing.

“I do go underwater a lot to wash my hair, get the soap off, and it’s always in the back of my mind,” he said. “I think, ‘Man, what if Paige was really pissed off at me today, [and] like, tried to hold me underwater?’ So I did really want to know if it was possible.”

Of course, the couple learned the answer once and for all: “Not even close,” Vanderford concluded on his Instagram Story. “AND I blew her away with my strength.”