Rob Font was able to outstrike former bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt to secure a decision victory tonight at UFC Fight Night 188.
Round One:
The bantamweight main event is underway in Las Vegas.
Garbrandt aborts on an early leg kick attempt. Low leg kick for Garbrandt. Now a head kick attempt.
Again Garbrandt lands a low kick as Font feels out with the jab without finding a home for anything yet.
Font steps into a leg kick. Now a body punch. Jab for Font, but then as he goes back to that it’s Garbrandt who lands first.
Heavy right hand for Font and Garbrandt backs up. He regains his bearings and stays composed, landing a leg kick.
Font just misses with an uppercut. Font loading up on a punch, but misses and falls to the mat, and eats a kick on the way up.
leg kick for Font. Front kick to the face from Font appears to partially land and looking for punches behind it, but Garbrandt lands a takedown.
Garbrandt in Font’s guard, but Font scrambles to his feet under fire. At close range Font with a right hand.
Big right hand lands for Font cleanly, but Garbrandt motions him forward and then lands a takedown.
Garbrandt with a little bit of control time, then Font gets to his feet eating uppercuts. Both fighter’s striking looking dangerous in this first round.
Round Two:
Body kick for Font. Sweeping low kick attempt from Garbrandt doesn’t pay off. Garbrandt drives into a takedown in the center of the Octagon and lands it.
Garbrandt in Font’s full guard, then gets to half-guard nicely. Kimura attempt from the bottom from Font. There’s a real battle for that arm, and eventually Font uses it to get back to his feet.
Font with a jab. One-two for Garbrandt. Triple jab and a right hand from Font. Again Font lands that Jab, but Garbrandt fires back.
leg kick for Font. Nice counter body punch from Font as Garbrandt comes forward. Back to the jab for Font. Into the clinch briefly and Font lands an elbow on the way out.
Front kick to the body from Font. Snapping jab from him. Misses with a front kick upstairs. Back to the jab.
Right hand for Font. Spinning kick to the midsection for Garbrandt. Font stuffs a Garbrandt takedown attempt as the round ends.
Round Three:
Jab for Garbrandt on the retreat. Jab for Font. He lands it cleanly again. Now a punch to the body from Font as he presses forward. Calf kick from Garbrandt.
Jab work from Font. Leg kick for him and punches in return from Garbrandt. leg kick for Garbrandt. Jab again from Font.
Font steps back from a Garbrandt punch and then threatens with an uppercut. Font looking to clinch up and move to Garbrandt’s back.
Font trying for a takedown and Garbrandt rolls forward onto his back and then gets back up.
Right hand for Font. Garbrandt punches back. Garbrandt attempting a takedown, but Font is looking to stuff it against the cage and then goes back to striking.
Body punch from Font. Both land the jab. Garbrandt motions Font forward. Body punch from Font. Garbrandt looking to counter.
Jab for Font. He tries an uppercut and then a jab behind it, but Garbrandt utilizes good head movement.
Round Four:
jab for Font. Leg kick from Garbrandt. Jab for him. Font wades forward landing a couple of nice right hands.
Counter left for Font. Now a right hand and a left too. Font pressing forward nicely, but Garbrandt lands a solid left hand.
Low leg kick for Garbrandt and a body punch in response from Font. Font marches forward throwing punches upstairs and one to teh body.
Body punch for Font. Crisp jab. Great pressure work from Font in this fight so far, while Garbrandt’s energy levels are a bit low.
Font goes to the body and head with a combination. Jab for Garbrandt. Body punch for Font as Garbrandt burst forward.
Good right hand for Font. Then the jab lands. Garbrandt pumps his jab. left hand feelers and then a clean right from Font. Now a head kick from Font, but Garbrandt ate it.
Double jab for Font and trying to work that right hand behind it. Big kick again from Font. Repeated jabs from Font.
More precise jabs from Font. The right hand gets through. Garbrandt just not able to match the work rate here of his opponent and is struggling to get his own offense going with any kind of regularity.
Round Five:
Garbrandt needs a finish in this round, but does he have the energy and desire left to make it happen.
Good right hand and then a left behind it from Garbrandt. Another short flurry for him. Front kick to the body from Font.
Jab for Font. Body punches from Garbrandt. He lands a nice left. He fires off hooks. In close Font lands a nice knee to the body. Garbrandt lands a punch over the top.
Two-punch combo for Font. Clean jab for Font. Garbrandt lands a jab too. Font with a good uppercut. Front kick attempt from Garbrandt, but Font shoves him away.
Font pressing forward again. Lands a jab. Another connects. He doubles up on it. Hard punch from Garbrandt.
Two minutes remaining. Leg kick for Garbrandt, but falls off-balance. Quickly back upright though.
jab and then a hard right hand from Font. Body kick from Font. Jab and then the right hand landing strongly again for Font.
Another right hand for Font. Head kick attempt from Garbrandt. Right hand for Font and then a double jab. Rapier-like jab for Font.
Garbrandt tries a spinning backfist that misses. Garbrandt with a late takedown, but Font stays tight and ensures he doen’t take any damage in the remaining few seconds>
Decision:
Excellent striking display from Font here, putting Garbrandt on the back foot and outworking him with his high offensive output to earn a convincing unanimous decision victory over the former champ (48-47, 50-45 x2)
