Rob Font has made it clear that he wants T.J. Dillashaw next, but wonders where the former champion’s head will be when he returns.
Dillashaw, who hasn’t competed since January 2019, will be eligible to return in a little more than a week after serving a two-year suspension from the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency for a failed drug test.
Despite Dillashaw owning up to his mistake, Font (18-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) thinks he’s bound to get mentally affected once he laces up the gloves in the octagon.
“I’m not going to sit there and bash this dude,” Font told MMA Junkie. “It is what it is. He did what he did. He knows what he did. He has to live up to that. He has to make that walk knowing that that’s not in his system anymore, and that’s going to be big.
“Again, it’s all mental with this, so if you’re putting stuff into your body, you’re mentally broke already. So he’s going to have to make that walk knowing that he’s not on anything. He’s not juicing anymore and he’s going to have to fight. I think I’m the guy to welcome him back.”
Font entered title contention when he made quick work of Marlon Moraes at UFC Fight Night 183. While he questions how Dillashaw (16-4 MMA, 12-4 UFC) will mentally rebound after making the biggest mistake of his career, he still expects the former two-time bantamweight champ to be in full form.
But in a matchup between two of the division’s most elite strikers, Font is confident his power will prevail.
“I think he’s going to be well-rested,” Font said. “He’s not going to have little bumps and bruises, stuff like that. I’m pretty sure he was never out of the gym, so he’s still going to be better as far as the little things like jiu-jitsu and tightening up the little details of his striking and all that. I’m sure he’s still working, but as far as the time off, I don’t think it’s going to affect him.
“But I’m curious to see how he deals with my power because he throws a lot of volume. He throws a lot of volume, so there’s a lot of opportunities for me to catch him and he runs into a lot of shots and he’s aggressive. So a guy like that, it’s going to be fun for the fans, it’s going to be entertaining, but I believe I’m going to knock him out within two rounds.”
