UFC Kansas City Results: Daniel Zellhuber Pieces Up Lando Vannata

The Golden Boys gets his first UFC victory! @GoldenboyZell takes the unanimous decision over Lando Vannata at #UFCKansasCity 👏 pic.twitter.com/x39yahiKz5

— UFC (@ufc) April 15, 2023

Daniel Zellhuber parlayed youth, size and speed into a win over Lando Vannata in a lightweight showcase at UFC on ESPN 44.

For a moment, it looked as though the fight might not make it out of the first frame. Late in the round, Zellhuber rocked Vannata with a punch, then smashed him with a right knee to the head, dropping him to the canvas. Vannata hung on desperately, staying in motion and avoiding the worst of the punishment as referee Jason Herzog looked on closely, and managed finally to return to his feet near the fence. The veteran made adjustments between rounds, however, and used constant stance switches in Round 2 to confound Zellhuber, get inside the taller man’s kicking range and land several clean counters.

The 23-year-old Mexican took over again in the final round, keeping Vannata on the outside and stinging him with jabs, crosses and a couple of shockingly quick high kicks. There was little suspense, as the judges scored the fight for Zellhuber (29-27, 29-28, 30-27), who moved to 1-1 in the UFC since graduating from the 2021 season of Dana White's Contender Series.

In defeat, Vannata fell to 4-7-2 in the Octagon and has now lost two in a row, his first streak of any kind since joining the promotion seven years ago.

#UFCKansasCity Official Scorecard: Lando Vannata vs Daniel Zellhuber (@GoldenboyZell)

See every scorecard from Fight Night ➡️: https://t.co/nxcHo6EnUA pic.twitter.com/AlwIOOZ2aO

— UFC News (@UFCNews) April 15, 2023