Rob Font’s stock in the UFC bantamweight division just elevated that much more.
The 135-pound title contender defeated former champion Cody Garbrandt in the main event of Saturday’s UFC Fight Night 188 in Las Vegas. Font (19-4 MMA, 9-3 UFC) had a dominant showing, battering Garbrandt (12-4 MMA, 7-4 UFC) for the majority of their five-round contest. The judges saw the fight 48-47, 50-45 and 50-45 in favor of Font.
The first two rounds were competitive, but Font did most of the damage. The 33-year-old connected plenty on Garbrandt and had him backing up for the majority of the round. Garbrandt did score a few takedowns and had top control on Font, but Font’s efforts on the feet were far more significant.
Rounds 3 and 4, had Garbrandt falling behind on the scorecards noticeably. Garbrandt seemed to be fading while Font’s confidence grew. Font connected with many hard shots and at times even stunned the former champion. Garbrandt had little to offer on the feet or on the ground and seemed to be in survival mode.
In the last round, Garbrandt had an admirable effort trying to rally back. He pressed Font and landed flush many times. However, Font had his moments, as well, making it a competitive round.
Overall, Font put on a clean and dominant performance in representing the New England Cartel.
Font is now on a four-fight winning streak. His recent run includes wins over Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon, Marlon Moraes, and now Garbrandt. Font has established himself as force at 135 pounds.
On the other hand, Garbrandt falls to 1-4 in his past five UFC bouts. “No Love” was coming off a knockout win over Raphael Assuncao, which snapped the three-fight losing streak. Garbrandt was out of action for almost a year entering UFC Fight Night 188. He had health issues stemming from a COVID-19 infection that delayed his return to the octagon.
Up-to-the-minute UFC Fight Night 188 results include:
- Rob Font def. Cody Garbrandt via unanimous decision (48-47, 50-45, 50-45)
- Carla Esparza def. Yan Xiaonan via TKO (strikes) – Round 2, 2:58
- Jared Vanderaa def. Justin Tafa via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Norma Dumont def. Felicia Spencer via split decision (30-27, 28-29, 29-28)
- Ricardo Ramos def. Bill Algeo via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 29-28)
- Jack Hermansson def. Edmen Shahbazyan via unanimous decision (29-27, 29-27, 29-27)
- Ben Rothwell def. Chris Barnett via submission (guillotine choke) – Round 2, 2:07
- Court McGee def. Claudio Silva via unanimous decision (30-26, 30-26, 29-27)
- Bruno Silva def. Victor Rodriguez via knockout (punches) – Round 1, 1:00
- Josh Culibao def. Shayilan Nuerdanbieke via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
- David Dvorak def. Juancamilo Ronderos via submission (rear-naked choke) – Round 1, 2:18
- Damir Ismagulov def. Rafael Alves via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 29-28)
