Rob Font will step into the main event spotlight for a short-notice showdown with fellow top-ten-ranked bantamweight contender Cory Sandhagen.
Originally, ‘The Sandman’ was scheduled to scrap with undefeated prospect Umar Nurmagomedov, but the Dagestani was forced to withdraw, leaving the promotion to scramble for a last-minute replacement. Fortunately, Font was willing to step up to the plate and will make his way to Nashville in the coming weeks with hopes of skyrocketing himself into the division’s top five.
Before returning to the Octagon, Font sat down with Mike Owens in a MiddleEasy exclusive interview to discuss his thoughts going into the high-stakes bout with Sandhagen.
“It’s a scary fight,” Font admitted. “I guess it gets me going. This is a… This guy’s beaten everybody I’ve lost to so this is, in a way, a rematch for me. If I can go out there and beat him. Obviously, this is kinda like MMA math, but I get those [losses] back. He’s smart. He’s dedicated to the sport. He doesn’t make a bunch of mistakes. He seems real focused on whatever he wants to do and he sticks to his game plan.
“He’s tough man. You’ve seen him in a couple of bad spots that he just kind of stuck through it. He gets the job done. Everywhere, he’s well-rounded [and] lengthy.”
Cory Sandhagen faces Rob Font in a 140lbs catchweight bout. (h/t @marcraimondi) pic.twitter.com/z3c1qA6758
— MMA On Point (@OnPointMMA) July 20, 2023
Originally, Font was scheduled to compete at UFC 292 in Boston next month, but he admittedly could not pass up the opportunity to not only headline an event but to take on a high-ranked fighter like Cory Sandhagen.
“This is one of those opportunities that you just can’t turn down because this puts me right back into that conversation of the ultimate goal, which is wearing that strap.”
Rob Font Discusses His Game Plan Ahead of the High-Stakes Scrap
Considering the short-notice nature of the fight, not to mention Font now suddenly subjected to a potential five-round fight instead of his originally expected three-rounds, Owens asked Font if he had a specific game plan in place after only being given a few weeks to prepare for ‘The Sandman.’
“With him, it seems like he likes to download and read, but I’m also expecting him to maybe shoot in the first round as well, so it’s more about gaining the respect that he can do it all,” Font said. “So, just living in that moment and being prepared and reacting. And making him react to me is more important than actually trying to conserve and make him try to get tired.
“He’s a real dedicated professional and he seems like he’s real technical and strategic. He’s not gonna try and just brawl with me. He’ll be moving and I also don’t want to be chasing him around so it’s more of like, doing what I want to do. Conserve energy in spots where I need to conserve, and then explode. Making it a dirty/technical fight at the same time when the opportunity presents itself.”
Rob Font jabbing into combinations.
When opponents start ignoring his jab feints or giving ground in response, he'll double up on it and let his jab carry him into power punches. pic.twitter.com/7pibC5caZB
— MixingMartialArts (@RyanAWagMMA) July 18, 2023
Sandhage goes into the contest 4-2 in his last six with wins over Song Yadong and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera in his previous two outings. A win over Font could put ‘The Sandman’ in line for a title opportunity with the reigning bantamweight champ slated for a move to featherweight following his UFC 292 showdown with Sean O’Malley.
On the flip side, Rob Font could sneak into contendership through the back door should he leave Nashville with an impressive showing against Sandhagen.
“I think the trick with him is going to be making him make more mistakes than usual,” Font continued. “He doesn’t seem like a guy that makes mistakes. We’re going to have to draw that out of him and that’s going to be on me. It’s gonna be how creative I can get and then obviously countering, going first, and all that. Making sure that he never gets comfortable and that I get comfortable pretty quick.”
Font found himself on a four-fight win streak not long ago, scoring impressive wins against the likes of Sergio Pettis, Marlon Moraes, and Cody Garbrandt. Unfortunately, Font’s momentum was stopped dead in its tracks with back-to-back losses against Jose Aldo and ‘Chito’ Vera.
He has since returned to the win column with a victory over Adrian Yanez, but a win over Sandhagen will undoubtedly get Font back into the mix at the top of a very stacked bantamweight division.
