Lando Vannata wants Nik Lentz next
Lando Vannata finally got back into the win column at UFC 234. He went 0-2-2 in his previous four fights before UFC 234. The lightweight was set to fight on the Fight Pass prelims and then got bumped up the co-main event of a pay-per-view after Robert Whittaker withdrew the day of.
Although Vannata got the win, many fans took to social media to say he got a ‘gimme’ fight and the UFC set him up to win. However, Vannata knows that should have been the opponent he was fighting after his recent stretch.
“I was coming off two losses and two draws. It is not like I deserved high-profile fights,” Vannata said on the Pull No Punches podcast. “I deserved bottom of the barrel opponents… Not to say Mariano does not have a good skill set… it’s not like he was some bum they threw at me.”
Now, however, Vannata is ready to face a higher ranked opponent. The 27-year-old is 10-3-2 and put up a valiant effort against Tony Ferguson back in 2016. Vannata is looking to fight Nik Lentz, who not many fighters are calling out.
“Unfortunately, I guess he was already booked for another fight that got announced two weeks after my fight. Now I’m trying to get Nik Lentz for International Fight Week,” Vannata said. “I watched him and Scott Holtzman. He has a decent name, and he is a great fighter. I think that would be an awesome, awesome fight. Really fun… That is what my sights are aimed on.”
Lentz is coming off of a dominating win over Scott Holtzman at UFC Phoenix. Lentz is riding a two-fight winning streak can simply ragdoll opponents with his wrestling. But Vannata is confident in his ability and is ready to get a big win over Lentz that can lead him into the rankings.
