In a deep bantamweight division, two bantamweights meet in the primary occasion for an opportunity to stand up the rankings.
This Saturday, April 30, provides us one other combat night time hailing from the UFC APEX. This weekend’s principal occasion provides us a combat between two high 10 ranked bantamweights. No. 5 ranked Rob Font will sq. off in opposition to No. 8 ranked Marlon Vera.
With Aljamain Sterling lastly ending his feud with Petr Yan and retaining his bantamweight championship, there are a variety of alternatives opening up within the division. A giant win on this principal occasion might make one in all these fighters one win away from a championship combat.
Rob Font vs. Marlon Vera: Who will get their hand raised at UFC Vegas 53?
Font is the older fighter between the 2. The 34-year-old trains alongside UFC featherweight Calvin Kattar on the New England Cartel. Like Kattar, Font likes to field and strike. This has led him to an MMA file of 19-5; eight of these fights ending by knockout. Font has been within the UFC since 2014. Over that point he’s racked up wins over Cody Garbrandt, Sergio Pettis, and Ricky Simon. Font was on a four-fight win streak till Jose Aldo defeated him by unanimous choice.
In contrast to Font’s striker combat fashion, Vera has a Brazilian jiu-jitsu combat fashion. The 29-year-old likes to complete the combat any method he can. He holds an MMA file of 18-7-1. Vera has ended 15 of his fights by a end. He’s ended eight of his fights by submission and one other seven by knockout. Like Font, Vera has been within the UFC since 2014. In that point, he defeated Sean O’Malley, Frankie Edgar, and Davey Grant. Since his final defeat to Aldo, Vera has gone on a two-fight win streak.
Each of those fighters have proven the power to strike. Font’s quantity and technical boxing have been a problem for a lot of bantamweights. In Font’s previous two fights in opposition to Aldo and Garbrandt, two fighters are identified for his or her hanging, Font has landed a complete of 325 vital strikes. Font may put somebody’s lights out. His most notable knockout was in opposition to Marlon Moraes, the place he took him out within the first spherical. Vera has additionally proven he can knock somebody out in a loopy vogue. In his final combat, he knocked out Edgar by a entrance kick.
Each of those fighters have additionally proven the power to wrestle. One thing to look at on this combat is Font’s take-down protection. In opposition to Simon, Font was taken down six instances. In opposition to Garbrandt and Moraes, two fighters identified for his or her hanging, Font was taken down a mixed 5 instances. Vera can take the combat to the bottom and lure Font in a submission. With Font being the higher striker, he’ll in all probability need to maintain the combat standing.
This combat places two well-rounded bantamweights in opposition to one another. Vegas has proven respect for a way shut this combat is. Wynnbet has made Font a slight favourite at simply -130. Font is getting extra respect from Vegas as that is his third straight principal occasion in comparison with this being Vera’s first-ever UFC principal occasion. They need to be paying extra consideration to Font’s 43% takedown protection and Vera’s willingness to wrestle and get a submission.
Prediction: Vera by choice.
