Tag: Rob Font

Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Jan Blachowicz and UFC on ESPN+ 25’s other key winners?

See who Jan Blachowicz should fight next after his knockout victory over Corey Anderson at UFC on ESPN+ 25.

(ALSO SEE: Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Corey Anderson after UFC on ESPN+ 25 loss?)

After every event, fans wonder whom the winners will be matched up with next.

And with another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC on ESPN+ 25’s most noteworthy winning fighters.

Those winners include [autotag]Jan Blachowicz[/autotag] (26-8 MMA, 9-5 UFC), who scored a first-round knockout of Corey Anderson (13-4 MMA, 10-4 UFC) in the light heavyweight headliner at Santa Ana Star Center in Rio Rancho, N.M., as well as [autotag]Diego Sanchez[/autotag] (30-12 MMA, 19-12 UFC), [autotag]John Dodson[/autotag] (21-11 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and [autotag]Macy Chiasson[/autotag] (6-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC).

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Macy Chiasson

NIcco Montano

Should fight: [autotag]Nicco Montano[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Chiasson rebounded from her first career loss with a strong performance in a unanimous decision win over a durable late replacement opponent in Shanna Young.

The previous fight marked a setback for Chiasson, as not many expected the upset loss to Lina Lansberg. That outcome didn’t make her gun-shy going into the next fight, though, because she left it all out there against Young.

Chiasson was originally scheduled to fight Montano (4-3 MMA, 1-1 UFC) on the card, but the former UFC champ withdrew less than a week out due to an undisclosed injury. Chiasson said following her win that she would like to reschedule that matchup so her previous efforts don’t go to waste, and so long as whatever Montano isn’t dealing with anything too serious, it makes sense to grant that request.

John Dodson

Rob Font

Should fight: [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]
Why they should fight: In a critical career moment, Dodson came through big. After struggling through two rounds to Nathaniel Wood, “The Ultimate Fighter 14” winner found the chin of his opponent in the third round for the TKO.

Dodson came into the matchup with a surging prospect in Wood on a two-fight skid. He took 11 months off coming into the fight, and needed to prove he still belongs into the conversation of the top names in the bantamweight division.

He certainly did that with the finish of Wood, and now “The Magician” has put himself back in position for a noteworthy matchup. Font (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) is not the biggest name at 135 pounds, but with five wins in his past seven fights, has built enough stock in the division to be worthy of an important fight. Dodson would represent that for him.

Diego Sanchez

Demian Maia

Should fight: Loser of [autotag]Demian Maia[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Gilbert Burns[/autotag] at UFC on ESPN+ 28
Why they should fight: Of his now 19 UFC victories, Sanchez’s win over Michel Pereira was arguably the most bizarre as he was awarded the disqualification after being hit with a damaging illegal knee strike from his Brazilian foe.

Sanchez was losing in a big way up until the fight-ending blow landed in the third round. He was outsized and overpowered by Pereira, but nevertheless it’s technically a win on his resume, and there’s no doubt “The Ultimate Fighter 1” winner will be looking to return to action once he recovers.

Whenever that time comes, a showdown with the loser of the March 14 fight between Maia (28-9 MMA, 22-9 UFC) and Burns (17-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) would be a logical booking, especially if it’s Maia. Sanchez has been calling for that matchup for a long time, and Maia has expressed interest, too. They are both among the all-time UFC leaders in fights and wins, and it’s a matchup that would seem fitting before one or both of them hang up the gloves. Should Burns come out on the short end for this scenario, it would be an entertaining fight with Sanchez, too.

Jan Blachowicz

Jon Jones

Should fight: [autotag]Jon Jones[/autotag]
Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Blachowicz should challenge Jones (26-1 MMA, 20-1 UFC) for the light heavyweight title next.

MMA Junkie’s ‘Fight of the Month’ for December: A slugfest between wrestlers

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from December 2019.

With another action-packed month of MMA in the books, MMA Junkie looks at the best fights from December 2019: Here are the five nominees, listed in chronological order, and winner of MMA Junkie’s “Fight of the Month” award for December.

At the bottom of the post, let us know if we got it right by voting on your choice.

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Rob Font def. Ricky Simon at UFC on ESPN 7

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) had to battle through early adversity to get his 17th professional win, topping a game [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC).

Font came back from getting dropped in the first round to outpoint Simon in a unanimous decision. The judges’ scores were 29-28, 29-28 and 30-27, giving Font back-to-back wins for the first time in more than two years.

Kamaru Usman def. Colby Covington at UFC 245

The highly anticipated welterweight title fight between [autotag]Kamaru Usman[/autotag] (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) and [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) surpassed all pre-fight expectations, but in the end it was the champion who came away with his title reign intact.

Usman and Covington went toe-to-toe for nearly five rounds, exchanging strikes on the feet and not once putting a wholehearted effort into a takedown attempt. Usman proved more dangerous on the feet in the matchup of wrestlers, breaking Covington’s jaw before dropping and stopping him in the fifth for the fight-ending TKO.

Charles Jourdain def. Dooho Choi at UFC on ESPN+ 23

After falling short in his UFC debut earlier this year, [autotag]Charles Jourdain[/autotag] (10-2 MMA, 1-1 UFC) showed what he was all about in his sophomore octagon appearance when he won a featherweight thriller against [autotag]Dooho Choi[/autotag] (14-4 MMA, 3-3 UFC).

Jourdain gave “The Korean Superboy” a rude welcome back to action from a long layoff when he fearlessly found a home for his strikes for nearly two full rounds. Eventually Choi couldn’t hold up, because Jourdain connected with a shot that set up a TKO to end the “Fight of the Night” affair.

A.J. McKee def. Derek Campos at Bellator 236

[autotag]Derek Campos[/autotag] (20-10 MMA, 9-8 BMMA) showed off his trademark toughness, but it wasn’t enough to stop [autotag]A.J. McKee[/autotag] (16-0 MMA, 16-0 BMMA) from picking up another impressive win to extend his record winning streak in Bellator.

McKee fought Campos from every area over the course of the bout, then suddenly in the third, from his back, he pulled off a slick armbar that forced Campos to tap out and made him the first man to advance to the semifinals of the Bellator featherweight grand prix.

Tofiq Musaev def. Patricky Freire at Rizin FF 20

[autotag]Tofiq Musaev[/autotag] (18-3 MMA, 5-0 Rizin) made light of his underdog status as he surged into the Rizin lightweight grand prix final and claimed a unanimous decision victory over pre-tournament favorite [autotag]Patricky Freire[/autotag] (23-9 MMA, 2-1 Rizin).

The two semifinal matchups in the lightweight grand prix tournament produced brutal, quick-fire finishes as Azerbaijan’s Musaev and Brazilian Bellator star Freire registered impressive stoppage wins. They went all three rounds in the final, though, each trying to overcome severe hand injuries. Musaev had the bigger moments, though, and was given the nod by the judges.

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The Winner: Usman vs. Covington

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After a heated buildup and a compelling fight, Usman came out “and still” the UFC welterweight champion.

With the clock winding down in the UFC 245 main event, Usman finished former interim champ Covington at 4:10 of Round 5 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

As Covington walked out to Kurt Angle’s WWE theme song, he was met with boos and middle fingers from the crowd, although the controversial competitor also had a noticeable share of supporters. A calm, cool and collected Usman made the walk second, draped in the Nigerian flag.

When it came time to fight, the two combatants, who did not touch gloves at the outset, delivered. Known for their wrestling abilities, not one takedown attempt was tried. Covington set a frenetic pace in the first, while Usman was more calculated with his strikes.

After three rounds of back-and-forth face-punching, Covington informed his corner he thought he broke his jaw. Upon replay, a hard straight right was the culprit.

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Fighting through the pain in the fourth round, Covington showed tremendous heart. He stunned Usman on multiple occasions and dug deep to return to his first-round pacing.

With the fight being relatively close, there was no consensus leader entering the fifth. It could have been anyone’s fight. Midway through the round, Usman showed championship mettle and began to land some of his hardest punches of the fight.

In a wild fifth-round sequence, Usman battered Covington, dropping him to the canvas. Covington survived, but only for so long. He was promptly met with more hard shots from the champion. As a bloody, battered, and swollen Covington clutched onto a single leg, Usman’s hammer fists finished the fight.

Upon the stoppage from referee Marc Goddard, the bloodied and battered Covington protested, but to no avail.

After the fight, Covington left the cage and ran to the back. He did not give a post-fight interview.

Conversely, Usman took the high road. The champion celebrated his win, but also turned attention to a tragedy his family had recently endured. Usman’s brother Mohammed, a pro MMA heavyweight, lost his son in a drowning accident earlier this year.

The victory means Usman has now won 15 straight outings. As for Covington, the loss was only the second of his career.

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Sean Shelby’s Shoes: What’s next for Covington, Holloway, other UFC 245 losing fighters?

See who Colby Covington, Max Holloway and Germaine de Randamie should fight next after their title-fight losses at UFC 245.

After every event, fans wonder whom the losing fighters will be matched up with next.

With another night of UFC action in the rearview mirror, it’s time to look forward, put on a pair of Sean Shelby and Mick Maynard’s shoes, and play UFC matchmaker for UFC 245’s most notable fighters.

Those fighters include [autotag]Colby Covington[/autotag] (15-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who felt short of the welterweight title in a fifth-round TKO loss to Kamaru Usman (16-1 MMA, 11-0 UFC) in the main event, [autotag]Max Holloway[/autotag] (21-5 MMA, 17-5 UFC), who dropped his featherweight belt in the co-main event, as well as [autotag]Germaine de Randamie[/autotag] (9-4 MMA, 6-2 UFC), [autotag]Jose Aldo[/autotag] (28-6 MMA, 10-5 UFC) and [autotag]Urijah Faber[/autotag] (35-11 MMA, 11-7 UFC).

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Urijah Faber

Should fight: [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]

Rob Font

Why they should fight: Faber wanted to see where he belonged in the UFC bantamweight division, and in the roughest of ways, he found out in a brutal third-round knockout loss to Petr Yan.

The UFC Hall of Famer, who came out of retirement in June, said he wanted the biggest test available. That’s because if he passed, a title shot would be on the horizon. Yan showed Faber those aspirations might be too lofty, though, and now the 40-year-old has a decision to make.

Faber got a sweet new contract ahead of the booking against Yan, and now that he’s finally making the money he wants to fight, it’s hard to walk away. That’s why another retirement feels unlikely right now.

If Faber continues to fight, he will do what he always does: Take a top name at 135 pounds. It shouldn’t be someone quite on Yan’s level, but a name like Font (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC), who is coming off a “Fight of the Night” win over Ricky Simon at UFC on ESPN 7 this month, would be a good fit for “The California Kid” if he insists on continuing to compete.

Jose Aldo

Should fight: [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag]

Pedro Munhoz

Why they should fight: Although the decision was debatable, Aldo’s bantamweight debut will go down as a loss after his narrow split decision defeat to Marlon Moraes.

There was plenty of criticism about Aldo’s drop to 135 pounds, including from yours truly, but he did not look out of place once inside the octagon. The weight cut didn’t look good from an outside perspective, but Aldo says differently, so we’ll have to take his word for it.

Getting to that weight took sacrifice, though, and if Aldo wants to put himself through that again, there’s a lot of fresh and interesting matchups for him at 135 pounds. With all the potential contenders at bantamweight and flyweight, it’s laughable UFC president Dana White is considering Aldo for a matchup with dual-champ Henry Cejudo. And we’re going to proceed as if that illogical idea doesn’t materialize.

Aldo could very much belong in the title discussion, he just needs a single win. Fighting someone like Munhoz (18-4 MMA, 8-4 UFC), who may not be the biggest name but is very good and has a style that matches up well with Aldo, could be his opportunity to put on a statement performance.

Germaine de Randamie

Should fight: A top 10 bantamweight

Germaine de Randamie

Why they should fight: Much like the first fight against Amanda Nunes, the ground game of de Randamie was simply no match and ultimately was her downfall in a unanimous decision loss to the women’s bantamweight champion.

This title shot, quite honestly, felt like a gift opportunity to de Randamie. No one would’ve expected to fight for a UFC title again after she was stripped of the women’s featherweight strap in 2017. She got the chance because there was no more obvious contender, but could not overcome the dominant force that’s Nunes.

At this point it really doesn’t feel like de Randamie will fight for a title again, and at 35, she will have some decisions to make. There’s a good chance we don’t see de Randamie back anytime soon, as she’s been known for long layoffs. However, she likely has a couple more in her, and whatever the division looks like when she gets back, it’s sure “The Iron Lady” will get someone in the top 10 rankings.

Max Holloway

Should fight: [autotag]Alexander Volkanovski[/autotag]

Max Holloway vs. Alexander Volkanovski

Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Holloway should rematch Volkanovski (21-1 MMA, 8-0 UFC) next after his title victory.

Colby Covington

Should fight: [autotag]Tyron Woodley[/autotag]

Tyron Woodley

Why they should fight: Watch the video above to see why Covington should fight Woodley (19-4-1 MMA, 9-3-1 UFC) next.

Rob Font took Calvin Kattar’s advice at UFC on ESPN 7, and it paid off

Take a look inside Rob Font’s unanimous decision win over Ricky Simon at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] beat Ricky Simon with a unanimous decision Saturday to open up the main card at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C.

Take a look inside the fight with Font, who won for the second straight time and handed Simon the first skid of his career.

Result: Rob Font def. Ricky Simon via unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28, 30-27)
Updated records: Font (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC), Simon (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC)
Key stat: Simon landed six takedowns in 16 total attempts, but Font won the striking battle by a 2-1 margin.

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Font on the fight’s key moment

“I think I was doing too much in there at the beginning. Calvin (Kattar) told me, ‘Do a little less, but stay be dangerous.’ That clicked in, so I just went back to basics and did me. I still have lots to learn. I have to calm down in that first round. I figured I dropped the first, but then got the last two, so I was pretty confident heading to the judges’ scorecards.”

Font on fighting for the first time in nearly a year

“Finally, finally back in the octagon – it feels great. I felt a little anxious in the first round, but I calmed down and put it together and now I can’t wait to get back in there again.”

Font on what he wants next

“The division is really deep right now. (Matchmaker) Sean (Shelby) promised me a quick turnaround, so hopefully I get back in there as quick as possible. Any name – anything I can help them out with to make a quick fight works for me. Let’s get after it.”

To hear more from Font, check out the video of the full post-fight interview above.

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UFC on ESPN 7 post-event facts: Jairzinho Rozenstruik joins record books with late TKO

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 7, which saw Jairzinho Rozenstruik beat Alistair Overeem in Washington, D.C.

The UFC returned to Washington, D.C., on Saturday for the first time since 2011 with UFC on ESPN 7, which took place at Capital One Arena. The 12-fight lineup aired on ESPN following early prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ESPN+.

A new heavyweight contender emerged in the main event when [autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag] (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) got his fourth consecutive victory since joining the promotion earlier this year with a come-from-behind TKO of [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag] (45-18 MMA, 10-7 UFC) in the fifth round of their matchup.

For more on the numbers behind the main event, as well as the rest of the card, check below for 40 post-event facts to come out of UFC on ESPN 7.

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General

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UFC on ESPN 7 marked the third event in UFC history to feature two draws. UFC 22 and UFC 216 were the others.

The UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payout for the event totaled $177,000.

Debuting fighters went 2-2 at the event.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag], [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag] and [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag] earned $50,000 UFC on ESPN 7 fight-night bonuses.

UFC on ESPN 7 drew an announced attendance of 10,816 for a live gate of $932,593.20.
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Betting favorites went 9-1 on the card. Two fights ended in a draw.

Betting favorites improved to 21-17 (one fight had even odds, one ended in a no contest) in UFC headliners this year.

Total fight time for the 12-bout card was 2:21:07.

Main card

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Rozenstruik earned his second UFC victory in a 35-day stretch.

Rozenstruik’s four-fight UFC winning streak at heavyweight is the longest active streak in the division.

Rozenstruik has earned nine of his 10 career victories by stoppage. He’s finished all of those wins by knockout.

Rozenstruik’s knockout at the 4:56 mark of Round 5 marked the third latest stoppage in UFC history behind Demetrious Johnson’s win (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC 186 and Yair Rodriguez’s victory (4:59 of Round 5) at UFC Fight Night 139.

Overeem’s 14 knockout losses in MMA competition are the most of any active member on the UFC roster.

Overeem’s 12 knockout losses in UFC/WEC/PRIDE/Strikeforce competition are the most in combined organizational history.

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[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag] (13-0-2 MMA, 2-0-2 UFC) is the only female fighter in UFC history to fight to multiple draws.

[autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag] (8-1-1 MMA, 5-1-1 UFC) has completed at least one takedown in six of her seven UFC appearances.

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[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag] (37-12 MMA, 7-6 UFC) improved to 1-2 since he returned to competition from a nearly three-year layoff in March 2019. He earned his first victory since January 2016.

Rothwell has earned 34 of his 37 career victories by stoppage. That includes four of his seven UFC wins.

[autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag] (29-12 MMA, 13-10 UFC) fell to 1-4 in his past five UFC appearances dating back to September 2017.

Struve has suffered all seven of his UFC stoppage losses by knockout.

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[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag] (9-1 MMA, 4-1 UFC) has earned seven of her nine career victories by stoppage. That includes three of her four UFC wins.

Ladd’s three knockout victories in UFC women’s bantamweight competition are tied with Ronda Rousey and Germaine de Randamie for second most in divisional history behind Amanda Nunes (six).

[autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag] (12-5 MMA, 2-2 UFC) fell to 2-1 since she returned to the UFC women’s bantamweight division in October 2018.

Kunitskaya has suffered four of her five career losses by stoppage. Both of her UFC defeats have come by knockout.

Simon (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) suffered the first decision loss of his career.

Preliminary card

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[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag] (29-11-1 MMA, 11-8 UFC) improved to 9-6 (with one no contest) since he returned to the UFC for a second stint in May 2014.

Means has earned 24 of his 29 career victories by stoppage. That includes seven of his 11 UFC wins.

[autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag] (23-15 MMA, 15-12 UFC) fell to 2-6 in his past eight fights dating back to May 2015.

[autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) has suffered all three of his career losses by submission.

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Mitchell (12-0 MMA, 3-0 UFC) earned the second Twister submission victory in UFC history. Chan Sung Jung also accomplished the feat.

Mitchell has earned all of his career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag] (8-3 MMA, 1-2 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of his career.

[autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag] (16-9 MMA, 10-7 UFC) fell to 0-2 since he returned from a 4.5-year layoff in June.

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[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag] (15-1 MMA, 1-1 UFC) has earned all 12 of her career stoppage victories by submission.

[autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag] (6-3 MMA, 0-1 UFC) suffered the first submission loss of her career.

Muradov (24-6 MMA, 2-0 UFC) improved to 18-1 in his past 19 fights dating back to March 2015. He’s won his past 13 bouts.

[autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag] (15-10 MMA, 5-7 UFC) fell to 5-8 in his past 13 career fights dating back to January 2012.

UFC research analyst and live statistics producer Michael Carroll contributed to this story. Follow him on Twitter @MJCflipdascript.

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UFC on ESPN 7 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Program total passes $30.5 million

UFC on ESPN 7 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that launched after the UFC’s deal with Reebok.

WASHINGTON – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $177,000.

The program, a comprehensive plan that includes outfitting requirements, media obligations and other items under the fighter code of conduct, replaces the previous payments made under the UFC Athlete Outfitting Policy.

UFC on ESPN 7 took place at Capital One Arena in Washington. The card aired on ESPN following early prelims on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 7 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

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[autotag]Jairzinho Rozenstruik[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Alistair Overeem[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Marina Rodriguez[/autotag]: $4,000
vs. [autotag]Cynthia Calvillo[/autotag]: $5,000

[autotag]Ben Rothwell[/autotag]: $10,000
def. [autotag]Stefan Struve[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Aspen Ladd[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Yana Kunitskaya[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Cody Stamann[/autotag]: $5,000
vs. [autotag]Song Yadong[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $5,000
def. [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Tim Means[/autotag]: $15,000
def. [autotag]Thiago Alves[/autotag]: $20,000

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Jacob Kilburn[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Sayles[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Joseph Solecki[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Matt Wiman[/autotag]: $15,000

[autotag]Virna Jandiroba[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Mallory Martin[/autotag]: $3,500

[autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag]: $3,500
def. [autotag]Trevor Smith[/autotag]: $15,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Reebok’s multi-year sponsorship with the UFC, fighters are paid based on their total number of UFC bouts, as well as Zuffa-era WEC fights (January 2007 and later) and Zuffa-era Strikeforce bouts (April 2011 and later). Fighters with 1-3 bouts receive $3,500 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,000; 6-10 bouts get $5,000; 11-15 bouts earn $10,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $15,000; and 21 bouts and more get $20,000. Additionally, champions earn $40,000 while title challengers get $30,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-30 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2019 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $6,880,000
2018 total: $6,901,000
2017 total: $6,295,000
2016 total: $7,138,000
2015 total: $3,185,000
Program-to-date total: $30,514,000

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Fight Tracks: The walkout songs of UFC on ESPN 7 with plenty of soundtracks and Kanye West

Check out all the fighter walkout songs from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event in Washington, D.C.

While it takes intense training, world-class skills and maybe even a bit of luck to register a UFC win, picking the right song to accompany you to the cage is a key talent, as well.

Inside, see what the fighters from UFC on ESPN 7 went with as their backing tracks in Washington, D.C.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5, Page 6, Page 7, Page 8, Page 9, Page 10, Page 11, Page 12, Page 13

UFC DC bonuses: Of course that twister earned Bryce Mitchell $50k

Bryce Mitchell, Makhmud Muradov, Rob Font and Ricky Simon collected $50,000 bonuses at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event.

WASHINGTON – [autotag]Bryce Mitchell[/autotag], [autotag]Makhmud Muradov[/autotag], [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] and [autotag]Ricky Simon[/autotag] collected $50,000 bonuses at Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 7 event.

Mitchell and Muradov were given “Performance of the Night” awards, while Font and Simon shared in “Fight of the Night” honors. UFC officials announced the winners following the event, which took place at Capital One Arena.

UFC on ESPN 7 results: Rob Font fights through early knockdown, outpoints Ricky Simon

Rob Font shook off a bad first round and rallied past Ricky Simon as UFC DC’s main card got off to an action-packed start.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] had to battle through early adversity to get his 17th professional win on Saturday night.

Font (17-4 MMA, 7-3 UFC) came back from getting dropped in the first round to outpoint Ricky Simon in a unanimous decision at UFC on ESPN 7 in Washington, D.C. The judges’ scores were 29-28, 29-28, and 30-27.

The bantamweight fight opened up the main card at Capital One Arena. It aired on ESPN following prelims on ESPN and early prelims on UFC Fight Pass/ESPN+.

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Simon (15-3 MMA, 3-2 UFC) looked his best in the first round. Although Font was winning and controlling the exchanges on the feet, Simon was able to rock Font and follow up with a takedown about halfway through the round. Simon dominated the rest of the action following the takedown.

Things took a turn in round two. Appearing fully recovered from the shot, Font stuffed Simon’s takedowns and outboxed him on the feet. It was a clinical performance. Simon had his moments, but Font was clearly the dominant force on the feet. The third round was no different, as Font tagged up Simon with the jab while avoiding the takedowns.

The 32-year-old Bostonian is now on a two-fight win streak and 3-1 in his last four bouts, with his lone loss coming to longtime bantamweight contender Raphael Assuncao. Meanwhile, Simon is now on a two-fight skid after a 3-0 start in the UFC.

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