Issue 163

January 2018

After four post-fight bonuses in his first four UFC fights, we're desperate to see more of Lando Vannata.

Don’t blink when it’s time to get ‘Groovy’ in the UFC. Lando Vannata’s blossoming Octagon career has been a thrill-a-minute rollercoaster ride of improvisational violence.

He pushed Tony Ferguson harder than anyone in his debut, Fight of the Night display. His spectacular spinning wheel kick KO of John Makdessi was an automatic Performance of the Night winner, and two more checks for 50Gs followed when wars with David Teymur and Bobby Green took the prize for best in show.

You can expect more of the same in the future, as the stylish 25-year-old Jackson-Wink striker aims to impose his brand of artistic MMA on the best ghters in the sport’s deepest division.

Q. How much fun are you having in the UFC right now?

Lando: I’ve been telling people I’ve never had more fun in a fight in my life. One of the top three most fun things I’ve ever done is fight with Bobby Green. It was an absolute blast. The dude was super cool. All fight week we were super cool with each other. We were talking inside the cage, he was giving me props when I landed things that were good. And he was like, ‘Nah, you just missed!’ when I missed my shots. It was just a good time. A really, really fun fight.

Q. Is that the kind of fight that brings out the best in you?

I don’t like being serious about things too much. I’m the kind of guy who likes to have fun. That’s definitely the best kind of fight for me. That’s what I vibe with.

Q. How important is it to entertain and put on a show?

I really don’t focus on it that much. I have a game plan and I kind of try to stick to the game plan. The kind of fight that ends up happening is a by-product of what we plan to do. With Bobby, we were going in there to try and break him, to push the pace and get him tired. But Bobby was in better shape than ever and he brought the fight. I don’t focus too much on winning or losing, or going in to entertain, or even to win. Obviously, I want to win, but I’m more focused on the process and what I have to do to get the victory.

Q. How motivated are you to show your artistic side in a fight?

I love displaying the art side of it. I feel like I’m an artist and a lot of fighters are artists. I want to display the creativity I put in at the gym and when I go into a fight. The reason I had the Makdessi knockout, a great fight with Teymur, a great fight with Tony, a great fight within Bobby, is because of that creativity nobody else has.

Q. Do you expect to win all the bonuses you do?

I expect that every single time. I know what I’m capable of, I know what my level is, and I know I have the ability to be a top dog in the division and one of the top dogs in the game. Every time I go out, I have the ability to collect bonus checks, collect the win bonus and put on a great show.

Q. Would you trade any of those $50,000 checks for four wins?

It feels better to win, but I don’t think I would sacrifice expressing myself inside the cage just to get a victory. One of my goals since day one, is to win a belt and be one of the best, but to do it my own way. I don’t want to sacrifice my sense of self and my personality for an object or status.

Q. What adjustments do you have to make to change that?

I’m still young in the sport. I’ve only had 12 fights. I’ve only been fighting professionally for five years. Things are still just starting to click. There are many things I’m still just realising and putting together the pieces. There are so many pieces to the puzzle. They’re starting to fall into the right place and it’s just little adjustments from here on out. A little bit of a higher work ethic in the conditioning department, a little bit more mixing the offense and the defense together. Little things will seal the deal and take me to the top.