“He does live up to his name. He’s groovy, but this Hawaiian can boogey.”
Yancy Medeiros
Yancy Medeiros (15-6 MMA, 6-6 UFC) is making his return this Saturday, Feb. 15 against “Groovy” Lando Vannata (10-4-2 MMA, 2-4 UFC) at UFC Rio Rancho.
Medeiros is coming off a 13-month layoff after taking time off from fighting to recover some nagging injuries that had been holding him back from performing at his best.
“I had a whole 13 months to get ready and (better myself), so Groovy Lando’s gonna see the best Yancy Medeiros, and I’m hoping to see the best Groovy Lando because I mean, he comes in there, he brings the fire and that always brings out the best in me,” said Medeiros in a pre-fight interview with MMA Junkie.
Ahead of the fight against Vannata, Medeiros is doing everything he can to give himself an edge and ensure he gets the win in enemy territory on Saturday.
With the fight taking place in Vannata’s homestate of New Mexico, Medeiros showed up to the high elevation desert two weeks early in order to make sure he’s fully acclimated come fight night.
In addition, Medeiros has taken on a plant-based diet as a lifestyle and say’s it was introduced to him by two legends of the sport, Nick and Nate Diaz. He also says that it’s made it easier for him to make the cut down to 155 pounds.
“For the most part, plants (are) the base of my nutrition,” said Medeiros. “It was introduced to me by Nick and Nate Diaz and I hold that dearly to them,” he added. “Now that I’m eating plants, like my body’s just much more aligned with me, and making weight’s way (easier).”
The Hawaiian assures his fans that even though he’s made a few changes to his training approach and lifestyle, he still has the same mindset when it comes to fighting.
“Same mentality, It’s always to win. Kill or be killed, entertain the crowd, and get back home safe and healthy to my family,” said Medeiros.
Medeiros is coming off of two back to back losses in the UFC and desperately needs a win Saturday night. The promotion has a history of cutting fighters after suffering three losses in a row. As recent as this past Tuesday, Feb. 11, the UFC cut ties with heavyweight Juan Adams, coming just two days after receiving his third loss in a row at UFC 247.
