Anyone who has been paying attention the past nine months has noticed the rise in popularity experienced by Lando Vannata.

The free-wheeling UFC lightweight has gone from the fighter everyone knew deserved to be in the UFC, to the fighter to watch in the stacked 155-pound ranks. "Groovy" lives up to every bit of his nickname inside and outside of the cage, but it's the smooth confidence and reserved intensity he carries that has Vannata on the edge of bigger things just a handful of fights into his time under the UFC banner.

On Saturday night at UFC 209, the Jackson/Winkeljohn standout will face David Teymur, in a bout that has found itself shuffled up the card. And while more spotlight could potentially wobble lesser fighters, Vannatta is simply getting what hard work has created for him.

"Unless [Teymur] changed his whole style from the past 87 fights to this one...he's basic," Vannata told FloCombat. "He's predictable and I'll make him do what I want him to do. He gets dropped by guys who don't have power. He's chinny. I don't ever go out there searching for the knockout. I just let everything flow, but I'm confident it will come in this fight."

Although Vannatta has drawn more eyes with his performances inside the Octagon, nothing has changed for the man himself. A very humble and grounded fighter, Vannata keeps free of the materialistic world, and chooses rather to put his time and energy into the experiences of a live well lived. Vannata simply won't allow the attention he knows to be fleeting make him lose sight of what has gotten him to this point in his life and career.

"Everything is the same except I don't have to worry about my bills," Vannata said. "I have a car now. I can do the things I want to do. I can go play in the mountains. I can jump out of planes. I can accessorize my truck to go on adventures and that's nice. I can do things that cost money, but day to day life everything is the same. I wake up, eat food, meditate and come to train."