Blink and you might miss it when Keegan Vandermeer fights.
The unbeaten Vandermeer needed just 109 combined seconds of ring time for his first two trips to the Squared Circle. Vandereer is eager to climb to 3-0 at BKFC 56 – the biggest event in the organization’s history – with a big win over Esteban “Mohawk” Rodriguez in their cruiserweight matchup on Saturday, Dec. 2 at Maverik Center in Salt Lake City, UT, LIVE on The BKFC App.
Another first-round finish would surely be ideal for the fast-rising Vandermeer, but the former high-level basketball player says he doesn’t like to predict those types of things. He just wants to clock in and do his job.
“I feel like my life is in a rhythm where, if I try to go too fast, my brakes are always going to get pumped,” the Cedar City, UT-born Denver fighter offers. “I never really predict when or how a fight is going to end. It’s just my job to make my opponent hurt. It’s my job to be the one who wants to be in there the longest.
“I want to paint a nice beautiful picture, but if the canvas doesn’t last, that’s OK too (laughs).”
Vandermeer might not be in a rush when he steps into the Squared Circle, but his stock is quickly rising. A third straight win over a battle-tested opponent like Rodriguez could land him a spot in the BKFC Top 5 cruiserweight rankings when they’re updated after BKFC 56. Vandermeer is confident he has the skills to someday be a BKFC World Champion, and he’s happy to see others are starting to agree with him – even though the 31-year-old cruiserweight isn’t in a rush.
“I’m very humbled to be in consideration for the Top 5 rankings at this point in my career. If I could land a spot in the rankings after this fight, I’d be even more humbled than I am now,” the lifelong martial artist says.
“A lot of my hard work is coming to pay me back in exponential amounts, and I’m going to be prepared for any opportunity that’s coming for me.”
