Veteran Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Lightweight Lando Vannata returns to action this weekend (Saturday, April 4, 2026) against winless teams Darrio Flowers at UFC Vegas 115 inside the Meta Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
And it has taken a long time to arrive.
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Vannata has not competed since UFC Kansas City in 2023, where he lost a unanimous decision to the Mexican prospect. Daniel Zellhuber.
And then, poof! “Wonderful” disappeared. So what happened?
Vannata was booked a couple of times in late 2023 and again in 2024, but both fights failed. After that, he went silent, leaving fans wondering what exactly happened.
Now we finally have an answer.
“Life,” Vannata said. UFC.com when asked where he has been. “Life, man. I had some medical stuff, I had life. I was dealing with real-world stuff. But I’m coming out the other side in a good place and I’m excited. I always train, but it wasn’t until a year ago that I fully got back into training.”
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And, surprisingly, the time away may have done him some good.
“It was good, man. Physically and mentally, there was no pressure,” Vannata said. “I could do whatever I wanted and that allowed me to take it all in. I did a lot of jiu-jitsu over the last few years and a lot of Muay Thai, which allowed me to open up my game in a lot of different areas… That time I got my black belt in BJJ.”
Despite having a UFC record of 4-7-1, Vannata has never been a boring fighter.
Of his short-term war with Tony Ferguson In his debut, which nearly pulled off a major upset, with four consecutive Performance of the Night bonuses (three FOTNs) early in his career, “Groovy” has earned a reputation built on chaos.
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And that chaos could manifest again this weekend.
Flowers is known for his aggressive, action-packed style, especially early on, which could directly influence Vannata’s wheelhouse. In fact, Vannata has already said he hopes to finish in the second or third round.
One more thing?
You are not worried about the ring rusting.
For the latest and greatest news and notes from UFC Vegas 115: “Moicano vs. Duncan,” be sure to check out our full event archive here.