“The Train” came into the UFC off seven straight wins, including three consecutive title fight victories on the M-1 circuit in Russia. His Octagon account got off to a rocky, 1-2 start with both losses coming via first-round knockout. His lone win against Darren Elkins provided a glimpse into the showman he could be, but consistency eluded him. The Clarksville native wasn’t deterred, and after moving his training camp to MMA Masters in Miami, he got things back on track.
First came a submission win over Ludovit Klein that continues to age well. The performance showed off Landwehr’s controlled aggression, and the finish was his first career submission. For his troubles, he scored his first performance bonus. Perhaps the most all-encompassing performance in terms of the “Nate the Train” experience came against David Onama. Landwehr was badly rocked in the first round, crashing to the canvas a pair of times before recovering and surviving until the round’s end. Landwehr swung the momentum his way when he scored a takedown and wore Onama down badly, and in the third round, Landwehr drank in all of the scenes while pushing toward the majority decision win and a Fight of the Night bonus.
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Landwehr would split his next four fights, but his submission and knockout wins over Austin Lingo and Jamall Emmers, respectively, earned him two more performance bonuses. After falling to Dooho Choi at UFC 310, Landwehr was eager to get back and get his hand raised again but was forced to wait until a broken hand healed.
