Rob Font couldn’t help but get excited when he drew former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt.
Font meets Garbrandt in the main event of a UFC Fight Night event on May 22, and the bout represents an opportunity for him to enter the title discussion in a stacked 135-pound division.
The New England Cartel member shined in his biggest spot to date, when he took out former title challenger Marlon Moraes in the first round in December. In his first headlining assignment, Font will look to continue riding that momentum when he faces ex-champ Garbrandt.
“I’m excited,” Font told MMA Junkie Radio. “This is going to be fireworks. He always brings the fight. Like you said, he’s a former champ, huge name, main event – I can’t complain.”
Both Font (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) and Garbrandt (12-3 MMA, 7-3 UFC) come from a boxing background and have displayed their fight-ending abilities on numerous occasions. But Font thinks Garbrandt’s wars have taken a toll on him, and he’s looking to exploit that in the fight.
“The first thing I think is how much damage he’s taken,” Font said. “My length, my footwork and then just being super confident with my jab and knowing that if I touch him at will, I’ll be able to find the crosses and hooks once I get my jab established.”
He continued, “You know exactly what you’re getting yourself into with a guy like Cody. He’s looking for the knockout, he’s throwing big punches, he’ll mix in some kicks and occasionally throwing a takedown, but it’s big punches, so you know exactly what you’re getting into. I’m always prepared to take it to the ground if they shoot or if I get the opportunity to take it there, but it’s pretty straight forward. He’s trying to knock me out, I’m trying to knock him out.”
Garbrandt currently sits at No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings, with Font at No. 10. With former two-time bantamweight champion T.J. Dillashaw facing Cory Sandhagen in a pivotal clash just a couple of weeks before, Font knows a win over Garbrandt may not be enough to cement himself as a top contender in the division, but he’s not too worried about it.
“A guy like Sandhagen wins, I can see him getting a title shot over me,” Font said. “Depending on how boring the fight is, but I doubt it’s going to be boring or a dud. I can see that happening, I can see me waiting a little longer. I personally wouldn’t be that butt-hurt. You saw what a guy like Sandhagen has been doing so in a perfect world, he goes out there, he wins, I win – I would love to get a title shot first, but I could see how he would get it. But yeah, I feel like I’m two behind.”
To see the full interview with Font, check out the video below.