Lando Vannata | Excited to Be Back

“The nice thing about being away for three years and having a real job was I got a taste of what retirement would be like and I don’t mind it,” said Vannata, who spent the last few years in the roofing industry. “I don’t think I’m gonna be one of those guys that struggles to find purpose after fighting.

“I would say prior, (being a fighter) was a bigger part of my identity; not my whole identity because I like doing so many things outside of it, have many other interests and goals in life. Now it’s a smaller part, but I love it — I love training, I like fighting.

“I’m still driven, 100 percent, to win and to prepare. My preparation was great, I’m great shape, my technique is on point; I feel really good. My desire to prepare, my desire win is still there; that has not changed at all. (The feeling that) I need this as a function of my ability to function? I like other things, so if this doesn’t work out, I’ll go do some other s***, dude.”

When he’s at home in Albuquerque, the work gets done in a few different places, including the wrestling room at St. Pious High School, where former UFC fighter Dan Argueta now heads up the program, at Kingdom Muay Thai, at Ray Borg’s gym, and on the mats with Rafael “Barata” Freitas, his longtime Brazilian jiu jitsu instructor.

And then when camp kicked in, Vannata ventured out to Orange County to train with longtime teammate Cub Swanson and the rest of the Bloodlines Combat Sport team that has been tearing it up of late between Danny Silva and Lerryan Douglas’ stoppage wins. Swanson rounds out the four-pack with his final fight next weekend in Miami at UFC 327.

“The training room there is great,” continued the returning lightweight, who famously debuted on short notice against Tony Ferguson, giving “El Cucuy” all he could handle out of the gates. “Cub is awesome. Every Monday we would drive from Orange to Indio — we’d go down to the Diaz Boxing Gym and train down there with Joel Diaz and those guys — and I’d spend a lot of time with Cub, in the car, talking, picking his brain about life, martial arts; it’s a great time.

“And the training is awesome — it’s a great room; I like the way they train,” he added. “It’s a lot of sparring, but not getting hurt or taking damage, a lot of play sparring days. Good days, good guys, good room, and a good training philosophy over there.

“I’m just excited, man; I’m happy.”

On Saturday night, Vannata gets to carry that happiness back into the Octagon for a showdown with Flowers, a member of the Dana White’s Contender Series Class of ’22 who has thus far struggled to find success on the big stage.

Vannata has done his due diligence on Flowers ahead of this weekend’s clash, acknowledging his heavy hands, overall strength, and big, explosive movements, and building his game plan from there.

“Don’t stand in front of him, avoid the big haymakers, circle out, and put him in positions where he has to work,” he said. “Let’s make him work: put him against the cage, take him down; anywhere I can get him to be inefficient and use energy? Cool. He’s also been submitted five times, so that’s a good place to look too.”

Vannata smiled, and when asked what people that are unfamiliar with his game or those who may have forgotten what to expect when he steps into the Octagon can look forward to this weekend, the excited veteran was direct about his approach and his intentions.

“Good footwork, good head movement, a playful style, nice and loose,” he said. “But also I think it will be a lot of domination in this fight. I’m looking to hurt this guy.”

Welcome back, Lando.