[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] and [autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag] meet Saturday in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 245 at UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.
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Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 preview
Font (20-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) enters this co-feature bout hunting for his first victory since last April, which was a first-round finish of Adrian Yanez at UFC 287. He went on to lose back-to-back fights against former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen and former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo. … Phillips (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) comes in as a winner of three straight. His last appearance was a unanimous decision win against Pedro Munhoz, which followed wins over Raoni Barcelos and Marcelo Rojo.
Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 expert pick, prediction
The co-main event in the Apex features a banger at bantamweight between Font and Phillips.
Looking to hold the proverbial door of his Top 10 ranking, Font finds himself riding the wrong end of a two-fight losing skid.
Whereas Phillips, who looks like the Latino version of Brad Pitt from “Legends of the Fall,” has quietly been rising the ranks since his lone UFC loss to Raulian Paiva in 2021.
Even though the smaller octagon should favor Font given that it will give Phillips less terrain to work with, I still suspect that this will be an annoying matchup for the New England native.
Not only has Phillips proven that he still moves effectively in the smaller cage, but the MMA Lab product’s all the way in, all the way out approach could be problematic for Font – especially if Phillips mixes in takedowns.
I wish this were scheduled for five rounds so we could see Philiips’ somewhat suspect gas tank tested, but I believe that his volume and variety will be enough to pick up at least two frames in the judges’ eyes.
The official pick is Phillips by unanimous decision.
Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 odds
The oddsmakers and public heavily favor the younger fighter, listing Phillips -450 and Font +330 via FanDuel.
Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 start time, how to watch
As the co-main event, Font and Phillips are expected to walk to the cage at approximately 8:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. PT). The fight will stream on ESPN+.
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC Fight Night 245.