Lando Vannata isn't someone who is happy just to be invited to the party. He wants to tear the roof off the place then quietly get on to the next one. But then again, contrasts are kind of what "Groovy" does best.

When the cage door closes and the assigned referee steps out of the way, Vannata is all about bringing that ruckus. But once the chaotic dance comes to an end, the laid-back chill returns, and the process of that shift is as common as breathing.

There's nothing stilted in his world, and even areas where rinse, wash and repeat should be mundane come with the potential of an explosion happening in various forms. His penchant for excitement has made Vannata a fighter to watch in the coming year, but in his mind, those people now fawning over him should have been watching all along.

And he has good reason for thinking this way.

The 24-year-old New Jersey native turned Albuquerque staple lets his fists, feet, knees and elbows fly with frenzied precision with the goal of providing his opponent a trip to the canvas and ultimately a timely stay in the loss column.

Vannata's ability to do so at a steady clip made him one of the most touted talents competing beyond the bright lights of the UFC, and that was a status he held for several years. And while any recognition is good recognition for a fighter on the come up, when you're an undefeated talent tearing up every stage you touch, patience is guaranteed to be tested.


Dec 10, 2016; Toronto, ON, CAN; John Makdessi (red gloves) fights Lando Vannata (blue gloves) during UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

"It's cool the general public and fans finally figured it out and are excited to watch me fight, but I already had that validation," Vannata told FloCombat. "I train with some of the best fighters in the world and some of the best coaches in the world, so it's nothing new to me. General fans starting to appreciate me is cool, but that validation arrived years ago."

Even for those with hype attached and train at a renowned gym such as Jackson/Winkeljohn like Vannata, the proximity to the entrance to the most notable promotion in mixed martial arts is never easy to gauge. That said, Vannata kept his laid-back perspective intact at all times, knowing all he needed was an opportunity to show the world what the "Groovy" one can do.

And while his official debut arrived in a situation that wasn't the ideal setting or scenario, Vannata did just that July 16 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

The lightweight prospect stepped in on short notice to fight a red-hot and top-ranked Tony Ferguson in the co-main event at UFC Fight Night 91.

With Ferguson rolling into the bout on a seven-fight winning streak and facing a relative unknown, many in the MMA community figured The Ultimate Fighter winner would cruise. By the one minute mark of the opening round, those same observers suddenly found themselves wondering if Ferguson would survive.


Jul 13, 2016; Sioux Falls, SD, USA; Tony Ferguson (red gloves) fights against Lando Vannata (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Denny Sanford Premier Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-USA TODAY Sports

Existing below the proverbial radar in MMA made Vannata's overall game a secret weapon of sorts, but his game mentality proved to be an X-factor, as he went directly at the lightweight contender. Vannata rocked and dropped Ferguson with nasty business left and right, forcing "El Cucuy" to wear a mask of desperation the California native had never donned before inside the Octagon.

Being an equally game competitor and a thoroughbred contender to boot, Ferguson weathered the storm and bounced back to claim victory via submission in the second round. Yet, while Ferguson would exit the cage with his winning streak and future title hopes intact, Vannata was already a certified threat to anyone at 155 pounds by the time he reached the locker room.

"I don't really give a sh*t about the praise to be honest," Vannata said. "I like to train and I like to fight. I had had some great training this week and was able to get in some good relaxation as well. I'm ready to get back to work and get to this next fight.

The buzz surrounding the Jackson/Wink product's debut was strong despite the loss, but the hype attached to Vannata's profile would absolutely explode in his next outing.

The upstart lightweight faced Canadian veteran John Makdessi Dec. 30 at UFC 206 in a fight that was supposed to provide a more accurate gauge as to where Vannata stood in the grand scheme of the stacked ranks of the 155-pound fold. There would be no short-notice call up or staggered matchup in the rankings department, which created a scenario where a victory would be of the solid variety and no excuse could be pinned to the loss.

His bout in Toronto would be the first real look media and fans were waiting for, but Vannata wouldn't be inside the Octagon for long.


Dec 10, 2016; Toronto, ON, CAN; Lando Vannata (blue gloves) reacts to fight with John Makdessi (red gloves) during UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

The matchup was supposed to feature finesse vs. power, but Vannata showed both in one brilliant turn as he landed a spinning wheel kick that knocked Makdessi's consciousness to the outer dimensions of time and space. Vannata was a bonafide star before the Tristar representative's body thumped off the canvas, and media members scurried to spot check whether it was "Lando" or "Landon," one or two "ns" or "ts" in Vannata as his name was scribbled into End of the Year awards for numerous websites.

Nevertheless, it was humility that brought Vannata to the show, and that wasn't going change just because the people saying his name on podcasts and around watercoolers did so with more volume and excitement.

"It was wild. I swear I didn't even know it hit," Vannata said. "I threw it and didn't even feel it land because sometimes you don't feel things when you fight. I came out of that spin, and as I'm turning to face John again, I see him fall. Everybody went crazy and I was like, 'Alright...cool.' *laughs* It was surreal to turn around and see someone falling over. It was a really cool moment."

Vannata's creativity was definitely put on display at UFC 206, and it was a fitting turn as the night featured an epic performance from his friend, teammate and mentor Cub Swanson. The veteran featherweight and upstart 155 pounder have worked closely for years, and over that duration Swanson's influence has been one of the biggest factors that shaped Vannata's striking game.

The UFC newcomer had his own tools to work with, but collaborating with "Killer Cub" on creative attacks has helped keep Vannata's attacks in a form of constant evolution.


Dec 9, 2016; Toronto, ON, Canada; Lando Vannata during weigh ins for UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

"It's a lot of fun in the gym when we get those creative juices flowing," Vannata said. "Either before or after practice when we are sitting around talking technique and bouncing ideas off one another. We vibe off one another a lot and it's a very cool collaboration we have going on between a handful of us over there and Cub Swanson especially.

"We've been doing it for years. He's the one who kind of instilled that creativity into me and helped me become the fighter I am today."

While Vannata was riding high following his highlight-reel knockout finish over Makdessi earlier in the night, his celebration in Toronto was far from finished.

He watched from the backstage locker room as Swanson went toe-to-toe with highly touted prospect Doo Ho Choi in a bout that will go down as one of the best scraps in the history of the UFC featherweight division. Over a raucous 15 minutes inside the cage, the two warriors took turns handing out strikes with horrible intentions.

Swanson landed one power shot after the next, and just when Choi appeared to be put away, the South Korean would fire back with something that rocked the Palm Springs native. The end result not only saw Swanson's hand raised but also saw him defy the odds in a fight were many believed he would get steamrolled.

Vannata admits there were factors he did not foresee unfolding between Swanson and Choi, but the ultimate goal is one he knew his brother in arms would accomplish.


Dec 10, 2016; Toronto, ON, CAN; Cub Swanson (red gloves) fights Dooho Choi (blue gloves) during UFC 206 at Air Canada Centre. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports

"That fight was amazing, and it was a fight just about everyone was counting Cub out of," Vannata said. "People were saying Choi is the next big thing, that he was going to smoke Cub and that Cub had no chance against him. People were saying a bunch of stuff, but his teammates all know what he's capable of. We all knew how that fight was going to go. I didn't expect it to be that intense, but I definitely saw Cub coming out with the victory.

"That fight was absolutely amazing though, man. I was chilling backstage watching it and biting my fingernails. I was jumping up and down, yelling and freaking out. That fight was insane. It had insane energy and is one for the history books for sure."

Following his successful showing in the "Great White North," Vannata returned to the high desert to resume his charge up the lightweight ranks. It only took a few weeks for a name and date for his next bout to materialize, and the Jackson/Winkeljohn product is very much looking forward to slinging leather with David Teymur March 4 at UFC 209 in Las Vegas.

While Vannata respects any man who steps inside the Octagon to put it all on the line, he believes Teymur will be facing more than he can possibly handle once things go live.

"I like the matchup. [Teymur] is a quality kickboxer and he has an extensive background in K-1 and Muay Thai," Vannata said. "He thinks his striking is on a completely different level than anyone else in the UFC, but I think he's pretty basic and extremely one dimensional. He's a great kickboxer, but we are playing a different game over here.

"There are a lot of holes in his game that are about to be exposed. He has good power, but I have a lot of power in my hands, knees and feet and I'm ready to put this dude out."



There's no doubt Vannata will hit fight week for UFC 209 with a serious amount of momentum, and another impressive performance will damn near serve as rocket boosters where the divisional ladder is concerned. That's an interesting scenario for a fighter to be facing, especially when said fighter was bouncing around the regional scene with heavy talent and thin paydays just two years ago.

Vannata is a fighter who constantly gauges himself and raises the bar of his own expectation, and the constant push allows him to appreciate the stark differences between the past and present. Yet, while certain aspects of his life are always in flux, the ties of humility and dedication are what bind it all together.

"It's a tug of war inside of me," Vannata said. "One side of me is all about this next fight and see what happens and go from there, but the other side of me says I'm going to sleep Teymur, then call out a top-20 guy. Then I'm going to sleep that next guy and call out a top-10 fighter. I'll do it again and call out a top-five guy, and by the end of the year I'm going to be ranked in the top five.

"It's a battle, but in the end it all comes together. I don't really care, but I know what I want. It's kind of hard for me to explain.

"It's kind of crazy for me," he continued. "I don't have to hold pads every couple of hours during the day and don't have to wonder when I'm going to make my next rent check. That's what has changed the most for me, and when I think about all that stuff, it's pretty damn cool."

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