CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Nate “The Train” Landwehr was scheduled to face Alex Caceres in the octagon on Saturday, March 25, but there has been a change of plans for UFC Fight Night.
The matchup between Landwehr and Caceres has been canceled because Caceres dropped out of the fight for undisclosed reasons. Nevertheless, the Clarksville native still plans to fight on Saturday.
The 34-year-old featherweight will now take on Austin Lingo, who has a record of 2-1 since joining the UFC. In addition, Lingo has a 9-1 professional MMA record.
According to ESPN 43, Landwehr spoke with reporters ahead of Saturday’s fight and spoke on a variety of topics, including what kind of opponent he’s facing in Lingo.
“I know he’s tough,” said Landwehr. “I’ve watched his fights, and I’ve studied him a little bit. The switch up was around two weeks ago, but I’ve been preparing for… this is my 20th professional fight, so I’ve seen a lot. He’s an orthodox, he’s a banger, I’m a banger, he’s tough, I’m tough, and we’re going to see who’s the real dog.”
“I’m going to try to pitch a shutout; I’m going to try to dominate and get a finish. I’m looking to finish this guy. I should have finished Onama, but I was having too much fun. I need a finish, and I need to rack up finishes in the UFC.”
Landwehr detailed later on in the interview process that he’s disappointed that he won’t have the opportunity to defeat Caceres and break into the top 15 of the featherweight division, but that’s what he’s using as motivation ahead of his fight.
Fighter comparison
After breaking down their UFC statistics, there are plenty of similarities between Landwehr and Lingo. Both fight with an orthodox approach, have the same takedown accuracy of 66%, and are both effective at defending takedowns.
| Nate Landwehr | Alex Lingo | |
|---|---|---|
| Pro Record | 16-4 | 9-1 |
| Height | 5’9″ | 5’10” |
| Weight | 145 lbs | 145 lbs |
| Reach | 72″ | 70″ |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Striking Accuracy | 51% | 42% |
| Takedown Accuracy | 66% | 66% |
| Takedown Defense | 86% | 80% |
Landwehr has the advantage in a couple different areas, though. Most importantly, he’s more accurate with his punches and kicks. When looking at the numbers, Landwehr lands 51% of his strikes. Meanwhile, Lingo only lands 42% of his strikes. Combine that with a longer reach then Lingo, and Landwehr has a good chance to do some serious damage to Lingo.
According to UFC.com, Landwehr is the favorite to win the fight at -200. Tune into ESPN and ESPN+ to watch who walks out of the Octagon as the victor this Saturday. The UFC main card begins at 6 p.m.