LAS VEGAS – Nate Landwehr didn’t have an easy early go of it when he first came to the UFC as an M-1 Global champion.
The 36-year-old American featherweight dropped two of his first three UFC fights by first-round knockout. It was a rather unceremonious start for a fighter considered a can’t-miss prospect when the UFC signed him.
But since those early stumbles, Landwehr is rolling with four wins in his past five fights, and all four of those victories came with post-fight bonus awards. His only setback in that stretch was a 2023 decision loss to Dan Ige, and the wins included three stoppages.
To say the confidence is booming for Landwehr (18-5 MMA, 5-3 UFC) might be an understatement ahead of his fight against Dooho Choi (15-4-1 MMA, 4-3-1 UFC) on Saturday to open the UFC 310 (pay-per-view, ESPN2, ESPN+) main card at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
And against Choi, he has an opponent who at one point in his heyday picked up five straight post-fight bonus awards. To put it mildly, the pieces all are in place for a banger – even if Landwehr tries to temper those expectations.
“I feel there’s going to be no choice, really,” he said at Wednesday’s media day. “We’re going to go in there, we’re going to battle, and I’m going to put that gas on the full throttle and either he’s got to come with me or get left behind.
“Expectations are bad for the mind. I’m just going to go in there and do my thing and if it becomes great, all we’re going to have is moments on video – so I hope it’s watchable.”
With Landwehr and Choi, their very nature typically is kill-or-be-killed. And while Landwehr acknowledged that sometimes can lead to a stalemate between two normally exciting fighters. But no matter how it plays out, Landwehr thinks he’s got the edge – and he’s got a history that backs up that reputation.
“If he don’t get me, I’m going to get him. That’s my style. Most of the fights I’ve lost, I had to get got. Usually, if it goes to the end, I win – as long as I let it go. So I’ve just got to go out there and let it go, and it’s going to be my night.”
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 310.
