LAS VEGAS – After securing the biggest win of his career, Rob Font is clearly in line for even bigger matchups in the UFC’s bantamweight division, but he’s realistic about what comes next.
“I feel like I still have to sit back and wait,” Font told MMA Junkie following Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 188 at the UFC Apex. “It sucks. I could have dominated, or I could have knocked him out. I still would have had to sit back and wait.”
Facing Cody Garbrandt (12-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC), a former UFC champion, Font (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) was nearly flawless over the course of their five-round headliner. He was crisp on the feet, using a long jab and aggressive body work to put “No Love” on the defensive and cruise to a decision win.
Despite being a vaunted knockout artist, much of Garbrandt’s best work came through his wrestling in the early going, though he wasn’t able to keep top position for very long. Still, Font said things went pretty much as expected.
“No surprises,” Font said. “He was quick. He was fast. He hit hard. I was a little surprised on the takedowns, as far as I figured he would try to keep it there and advance position, and instead he just wanted to get up and start striking. It was almost like he didn’t really want the takedown.”
In his first UFC headliner, Font didn’t fade down the stretch, taking all five rounds on two of the three judges’ cards. To his credit, Garbrandt tried to rally late, but Font weathered an early fifth-round storm before regaining control of the action.
“I was like, ‘Has he been playing with me this whole time? Is he about to turn it on now?’” Font said. “But after that little burst happened, I backed him up a couple times with the jab, hit a couple of body shots and just slowed down. It was like, ‘All right. Keep it here. Don’t go too crazy. Don’t try to brawl with him. His only chance to win is knocking me out.’ It worked out.”
Font now owns a four-fight winning streak, and after entering the contest at No. 10 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie bantamweight rankings – with Garbrandt at No. 6 – the 33-year-old contender will certainly move up the list.
Font believes the performance proved he belongs among the best in the division.
“You go in there and go five rounds with Cody Garbrandt – was it (Dominick) Cruz that went five rounds with him?” Font asked. “And Cruz is a legend. You go five rounds with him and not get knocked out, you prove that you’re legit.”
But Font isn’t unrealistic about his next move. The title is on hold for a bit as champion Aljamain Sterling recovers from surgery and an anticipated rematch with former champ Petr Yan awaits. Meanwhile, another former champ, T.J. Dillashaw, has a bout with top contender Cory Sandhagen lined up for July.
So despite an impressive win, Font believes he’ll have to wait a bit to know exactly what he earned, and that’s just fine by him. After fighting just once in 2019 and once in 2020, Font has learned the waiting game.
Taking a fight with a lesser-ranked opponent just to stay busy isn’t in his plans. He’ll sit back and wait for what he deserves.
“I definitely don’t want to fight backwards,” Font said. “I’ve learned patience. I’ll be patient.”
Rob Font ready to be patient after big UFC Fight Night 188 win, doesn’t ‘want to fight backwards’