Jose Aldo extended his winning streak to three fights tonight at UFC On ESPN 31 with a hard-fought but convincing unanimous decision win over Rob Font.
Round One:
The bantamweight main event is underway in Las Vegas.
Font steps into an early left hand. Now a one-two. He threatens with an uppercut but doesn’t connect. Fast pace from Font to start. Aldo attempts a leg kick, but it’s muffled by Font coming forward.
Aldo with a body kick. Low kick for Font. Font does nicely to swoop into a takedown attempt and manages to do so, but Aldo quickly stands back up and gets across to the cage, with Font still latched on looking to bring him back down.
Acrobatics from Aldo to stay upright and then manages to break free. Font back to staying busy with his punches. Aldo thinks about a takedown of his own, but doesn’t commit fully to it.
Font feels out with the jab and works a right hand. Now an elbow strike for him. Calf kick too now. Great start for Font. Glancing hook from Aldo now.
One-two for Font. Right hand from Aldo. Overhand from Font is blocked. Heavy body sot from Aldo. Now Font lands to the body, though not as heavily.
Right hand lands nicely for Font. Body punch for Aldo. Font’s slowed down a bit now. Aldo lands a thumping right hand down the pipe and that wobbles Font and moments later he falls to the mat. Dangerous moments for Font, but he survives the final few seconds to make the next round.
Round Two:
Font feels out with the jab and then lands a few light low kicks. Jab and a body punch from him. Now nice work upstairs again as he tries to recapture the energy that won him much of the first round before being hurt.
Low kick for Font. He lands it again on the inside. Body punch. Body punch from Aldo now. He lands a right hook counter too.
Low outside kicks from Font and Aldo is trying to punch upstairs at the same time. Another big right hand from Aldo sends Font back on his heels.
Punches to the head from Font, but he’s not wielding the same power as Aldo so far. Nice jab from Font. He gets a solid right hand through.
Hard right from Aldo again. left and a right hand from him. He works to the body too. He steps in to land to the body again.
Low kick for Font. Aldo tries to land a head kick as Font was ducking down. leg kick for Font. Body punch for Font. Aldo’s right hand threatens again. inside leg kicks from Font.
Font tries to drive forward with strikes to set up a takedown, but it doesn’t pay off. Aldo presses forward and rips to the body. Now a punch upstairs. Font lands a left hand during a brief flurry.
Round Three:
Calf kick from Aldo, which is what his corner were calling for. He lands one on the other side. jab gets through for Font. Another low kick from Aldo.
One-two for Aldo and a counter from Font. Straight punches again from Font. Font tries a takedown, but Aldo steps out from it and then opts to grapple in the center of the Octagon, stepping into half-guard on top.
Aldo passing to side control now. Font works him back to full-guard. Font thinking about an armbar, but nothing doing. Aldo tries to pass the legs, but Font prevents it. Aldo briefly to half-guard, but not for long and then Font finds a way back to his feet.
Font feels out with the jab. Aldo lands one of his own. Hard body punch from Font. Now a right hand. One-two lands. Aldo blasts him with a low kick that knocks Font off his feet for a moment.
Front kick to the body from Font. Jab from Font and then the front kick to the body again. Leg kick from Aldo. Right hand for Font.
Round Four:
Aldo’s right eye is swelling shut and has swelling on the other side. Nevertheless the fight continues and Aldo hurts Font again with a big right hand. Now a good knee upstairs from Aldo and then gets on top.
Aldo in half-guard and now Font’s left eye is swelling up worse and he’s pawing at it, clearly hurt. Meanwhile, Aldo manages to move into side control in the center of the Octagon.
Font gets to a hip and Aldo opts to go back to half-guard. Now Aldo attempts to pass into full mount and almost gets it, but then has to settle for half-guard, then Font brings him to full guard.
Aldo nicely attempting to pass guard, but credit to Font for battling against that and gets his feet on the hips.
Font looking for elbows from his back. Now he’s trying to manufacture a submission, but nothing doing for now. Aldo almost gets full mount, but then into half-guard.
Font gets space to land a couple of hard elbows to the side of the head as the round cdraws to a close.
Round Five:
Body punches and then upstairs from Font. He lands a right hand. He’s swinging for the fences, but misses.
Body head combo again from Font. He jumps into the knee to the body. Font leaving it all in the cage in this final round, but Aldo remains composed.
Font clinches up and presses Aldo over to the cage. Font with an elbow as they break apart.
Aldo marching forward now though and lands a solid one-two. Font grabs him and shoves him into the cage. A few punches to the head from Font as he tries to work for a takedown. Aldo defending though. Font with a nice punch and an uppercut.
Aldo gets space and hurts Font again with that big right hand. More punches follow and Font is wobbled but showing no signs of quitting on himself.
Aldo works the action to the mat. He’s in a great position to work for a finish, but he’s taking his time and seems happy to just enjoy some more control time.
Aldo takes his back. Final minute and Aldo sinks in a rear-naked choke, but Font does well to fight it off. Font tries to reverse him, but Aldo scrambles to stay on top and that’s where the round ends.
Decision:
Good fight then but while Font was always active on the feet, Aldo clearly had a big power advantage and hurt him multiple times and also showed off his grappling skills too on his way to a unanimous decision victory (50-45 x2, 49-46).
That was a tough test for Aldo, but he showed that he’s still a major threat in the upper reaches of the bantamweight ranks with this performance and secured his third win in a row in the process.
