Despite an excellent display of boxing by Rob Font tonight at UFC On ESPN 35, Marlon Vera emerged victorious courtesy of his very dangerous striking, which floored his opponent on numerous occasions en-route to the unanimous decision win.
Round One:
The main event is underway in Las Vegas.
Vera kneels before the fight and is slow to get up at the start, but Font doesn’t seek to capitalize.
Calf kick from Vera. Punch from Font. Font lands to the body. Now goes to the body and then back upstairs. Vera with a solid body kick and Font looks to counter.
Big body punch from Font. Font fires out the right hand. Now onto the jab as he works his crisp boxing.
More fast hands from Font. Leg kick from Vera. Right hand and an elbow from Font as Vera keeps a high guard. Uppercut from Font in close.
Font rips to the body a couple of times. Glancing overhand and then another body punch. Front kick to the body from Vera, but Font caught it.
Font with an uppercut. He’s still investing in the body work too. Clean straight punches landing for Font with regularity. Now back to the body. Body-head work. Body kick for Vera. jab and an uppercut from Font. He lands the uppercut again.
Leg kicks from Vera. Another rip to the body from Font. Body kick from Vera. Right hand and a knee to the body from Font. Inside leg kick for Font.
Round Two:
Heavy three-piece combo from Font. Front kick to the body for Font. Vera with a front kick to the body, but it’s caught and then Font steps into a big strike. Spinning kick to the body from Vera though.
leg kick for Vera. Now a head kick attempt from him. Font straight back to boxing though and rips to the body. Flurry of hands upstairs as Vera keeps that high guard.
Jab for Vera. Font with an inside leg kick. Both land the jab at the same time. One-two for Font. Vera responds in kind.
Jab for Font and then an inside leg kick. Calf kick from Vera. Uppercut from Font and then an outside leg kick. One-two for Font.
Jab for Vera. Inside leg kick for Font. Nice right hand for Font and then tries for a knee upstairs. leg kick for Vera, punches upstairs for FOnt.
Hard body kick for Vera. Leg kick lands and Font scores with the jab. Front kick to the body for Vera. Hard punches from Font and Vera lands the jab. Power left hand from Font.
Right hand and then several lefts get through for Font and a knee. Body kick and a right hand from Font. Head-body combo for FOnt. Vera catches a kick but doesn’t do anything with it. Two hooks from Vera hurt Font and send him to the mat.
Vera looking for a finish all of a sudden and Font is just trying to survive. What a change of momentum this is, but Font makes it to the bell as he clings desperately onto a leg.
Round Three:
Right hand for Font. Now a front kick to the body. He goes into the clinch, spins to the back and drags Vera down. Vera standing as Font was trying to get a hook in. Vera turns into him and presses Font up against the cage.
Knee for Vera, elbow from Font as they break away. Head kick attempt from Vera is blocked. jab for Vera, punches in return from Font.
Kick from Font strays a bit low towards the groin, but Vera is ok to contnue. Leg kick from Vera. Font with a body kick and then a leg kick.
left hand for Vera and then a front kick to the body. Inside leg kick from Vera. Right hand and an uppercut from Font off the guard.
One-two from Font. Jab for Vera. Leg kick from Font. Hard counter from Vera. One-two from Font. Another right hand and a series of jabs connect.
Font punches and Vera fires back with a flurry. Leg kick from Font. Jab for Vera. Solid elbow strike from Font and more punches behind it.
More punches and an elbow from Font. Vera looking to clinch but not for long. Font with a body punch and tries to catch a kick.
Straight punches getting through the guard from Font. Body punch from him. Body kick from Vera. More punches landing for Vera. Jab for Vera.
Light punches through the guard from Font. Another jab gets through and then two body punches.
Big knee to the head from Vera and Font is rocked and on wobbly legs as he goes to the canvas. Vera trying to finish him with strikes on the mat, but then pauses and lands one big elbow as the bell sounds.
Round Four:
Jab for Font. He continues to pump that out and lands a leg kick. Another jab for FOnt. Vera with a flurry and then flashes out a knee attempt upstairs.
Font lands the jab. Now a leg kick. jab for Vera. Glancing blows from Font. Punch back from Vera. Harder strikes from Font now. He lands a heavy right hand.
Another good right for Font. Vera clinches up and lands a nice elbow before they separate. Body punch from Font. leg kick for Vera.
Font lands the jab. Grazing hook for Vera. Constant jab work from Font and a leg kick. Left hook lands nicely for Vera though.
Leg kick for Vera. Jab for Font. Hook kick to the head for Vera lands and Font is dazed and almost in slow motion starts to back up and goes to the mat.
Vera not following him down as Font looks for upkicks. Vera kicks to his legs. Font given chance to stand back up.
Vera looking for a flying knee. Now trying for that hook kick again, but nothing doing this time. A lull in the action and then a body kick for Vera.
Round Five:
Font heads into the fifth round with welts and bruising all over his face despite his terrific output throughout the fight thanks to Vera’s power strikes.
Font starts the round fast though with a flurry to the body and head and a leg kick for good measure. Now a short elbow strike.
Inside leg kicks from Font. Glancing right hook. Font marches forward with punches without much landing cleanly.
Uppercuts from Font. Now a grazing right hook. Jab for Vera. A couple of right hands getting through for Font. Punch lands for Vera.
Vera working the jab now. Font to the body. Body kick for Vera. Two jabs and a right hand from Font. Kick upstairs from Vera.
One-two from Font. Jab for Vera. Another nice right for Font, but his blows just don’t have the same impact as Vera’s.
left hook for Vera, hard punch in response from Vera. Solid jab from Vera. He lands the jab again and a low kick.
Font’s wearing a crimson mask at this stage, but has never slowed down his offense. Good jab for Vera. Heavy right hand and an uppercut from Font, but Vera laughs it off with some showboating.
Right hand for Font. Jabs exchanged. Body punch from him. Hook kick lands again for Vera and wobbles Font, but this time he stays upright and avoids a knee strike.
Font on his bike now just trying to survive in the final seconds of the fight, and we’re headed to the judges.
Decision:
So, Font’s crisp, high-volume boxing was a sight to behold during this fight and his cardio was admirable too, but despite his punch count he never truly hurt his opponent. Meanwhile, Vera wasn’t able to match his output, but his defense was on-point and when he did land he was causing major damage and dropped Font several times in the fight with knees and head kicks.
By the end of the fight Font’s face was a bloodied, swollen mess, while Vera somehow looked like he didn’t have a scratch on him, and he emerges with a unanimous decision victory (48-47, 49-46 x2).
