Sandhagen v Font UFC betting picks & main event preview

UFC Fight Night at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville pits Cory Sandhagen against Rob Font in a clash of impatient bantamweight contenders who are keen for a crack at UFC gold. Font steps up on short notice as a replacement for the injured Umar Nurmagomedov, and the bout will be staged at a catchweight of 140 pounds.

Sandhagen v Font UFC fight preview

Cory Sandhagen vs Rob Font

Cory Sandhagen (16-4-0) is an active fighter who is not afraid of a challenge, as evinced by his decision take this tricky catchweight matchup. Sandhagen has faced the very best opponents in the bantamweight division and has notched recent wins over Marlon Vera, Song Yandong, and Frankie Edgar. Sandhagen came up short against Petr Yan for the interim bantamweight title and was beaten by current champ Aljamain Sterling back in 2020 when they were a pair of contenders on the rise.

Sandhagen is a gifted striker who combines technically sound fundamentals with flashy moves such as flying knees and spinning elbows. He is also adept on the ground, with three submission wins to his credit, but looks more assured in the standup department.

Sandhagen is ranked fourth in his weight class and will be hoping Sterling loses his belt to Sean O’Malley at UFC 292. If Sandhagen can get the win here, and O’Malley dethrones the current champ, a potential title shot beckons. As long as Sterling remains on the throne, Sandhagen must bide his time and keep fighting other would-be contenders.

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Rob Font (20-6-0) steps up on short notice with a golden opportunity to advance his bantamweight ranking, which currently sits at seven. The 36-year-old is coming off a Performance of the Night effort against Adrian Yanez that resulted in a round one TKO finish. Prior to that, Font dropped successive bouts to Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo, both by decision, after building some handy momentum with four straight wins.

Font employs a similar strategy to Sandhagen with powerful strikes that can lead to finishing opportunities, either on the feet or via submission. He has struggled with his weight in recent times, so the 140-pound limit for this contest should suit given an abbreviated training camp.

Font looks the likely aggressor here but will need to avoid the effective counter-strikes of Sandhagen. His best opportunity will be to outwork his opponent, move forward, control the octagon, and earn the nod from ringside judges.

Sandhagen v Font UFC betting predictions

It is hard to tip against Sandhagen here. He is the younger and hungrier fighter and will benefit from a full training camp. He should push hard for a finish to keep his name in the headlines, but Font has never been beaten via TKO/KO, so this might be headed to the scorecards.

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