Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Bantamweight knockout artists Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font will clash TONIGHT (Sat., May 22, 2021) at UFC Vegas 27 inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Garbrandt never lost to anything less than elite opposition in his three-fight losing streak, but it’s tough to be optimistic when what came before those losses was nothing less than domination. Fortunately, the former champion rebounded with style last year, scoring a sensational knockout win and righting the ship. Font has picked up his own losses over the years as well, but he’s really come into his own lately, putting together an excellent three-fight win streak to really break into the title mix. One more big win over a name like “No Love” could be just the push Font needs to actually score a title shot.
Let’s take a closer look at the keys to victory for each man:
Cody Garbrandt
Record: 12-3
Key Wins: Dominick Cruz (UFC 207), Raphael Assuncao (UFC 250), Thomas Almeida (UFC Fight Night 88), Takeya Mizugaki (UFC 202), Augusto Mendes (UFC Fight Night 83)
Key Losses: T.J. Dillashaw (UFC 227, UFC 217), Pedro Munhoz (UFC 235)
Keys to Victory: Fighters do not come much faster than Cody Garbrandt. The boxer has blistering knockout power in his hands and a quality wrestling background, but his latest development is a more refined kicking game.
Both Garbrandt and Font have similar styles. Both boxers look to line up their right hand behind the jab, but Garbrandt works more in bursts, whereas Font is more of a consistent bruiser. As such, it will benefit Garbrandt to keep his feet moving, because he wants to convince Font to reach for him.
That’s how counters open up.
Both men will likely be ripping low kicks often at range, but I’d still like to see Garbrandt establish his jab. He’s got a great one, but he doesn’t often throw it. Against a boxer who is jabbing, Garbrandt cannot limit himself to hooks and crosses.
Finally, Garbrandt would be wise to mix in a takedown or two! That’s an underrated aspect of his game, and it’s not like Font is an unfathomable submission threat.
Rob Font
Record: 18-4
Key Wins: Marlon Moraes (UFC Vegas 17), Ricky Simon (UFC on ESPN 7), Sergio Pettis (UFC on FOX 31), Thomas Almeida (UFC 220), Douglas Silva de Andrade (UFC 213)
Key Losses: Raphael Assuncao (UFC 226), John Lineker (UFC 198), Pedro Munhoz (UFC Fight Night 119)
Keys to Victory: Font is one his division’s premier knockout artists. He’s comfortable in a scrap or controlling the range and flow with his jab, and thus far, Font has demonstrated a well-rounded grappling game to pair with his dangerous offense.
Against Garbrandt, there are two historical weaknesses that have been taken advantage of in his losses. On the technical side of things, Garbrandt can lunge forward with his right hand, dropping his left low and leaving himself exposed in the process. In the past, Font has shown a nice pull-right hand counter, so that could be a perfect weapon here.
Alternatively, Garbrandt has struggled to maintain his composure in a firefight. If Font is not winning the technical battle, it would be worth rolling the dice trying to force a brawl, as “No Love” just might engage him in such a battle.
Neither man is immune to being rocked, and both have big power, so everything can go up in the air quickly.
Bottom Line
The stakes are definitely high here.
At the moment, the Bantamweight title is somewhat log-jammed as Aljamain Sterling and Pete Yan still have business to settle. The victor of Cory Sandhagen vs. T.J. Dillashaw would otherwise have an argument for a title shot, but given the circumstances, the winner of this bout could face that man in a title eliminator. For Garbrandt specifically, he has options with a win. In addition to pursuing Bantamweight gold a second time, Garbrandt has already been handed a Flyweight title shit once before. If he wins big here, the victor of Brandon Moreno vs. Deiveson Figueiredo 2 is an option.
Defeat is similarly costly. Garbrandt has not yet put a ton of distance between himself and that three-fight losing streak, so another loss will hurt his position badly. Meanwhile, Font has worked hard to build a quality win streak, but that goes largely up in smoke if he loses to his fourth top-ranked foe.
Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Vegas 27 fight card this weekend, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” matches, which are scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. ET, then the remaining main card balance on ESPN+ at 7 p.m. ET.
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At UFC Vegas 27, Cody Garbrandt and Rob Font will throw down in the main event. Which man remains standing when the dust settles?