Under a spotlight meant for the top two 155-lb. fighters in the world, two un-ranked lightweights engaged in the most compelling fight of the night at UFC 209.
Lando Vannata had entered the promotion back in July, a late-notice fill-in to keep then #3 contender Tony Ferguson busy. He was an underdog in the truest sense — to spectators it seemed not a matter of if he’d lose to Ferguson but when, and how grisly the defeat would be. On that night in South Dakota, Vannata flipped the script on Ferguson, moving effortlessly through fluid combinations and counter-strikes as ‘El Cucuy’ pressured forward, grappling with his sudden bewilderment at this newcomer’s effectiveness.