Tag: Rob Font

UFC lays groundwork for Austin, Texas return in December

The UFC is heading back to Austin, Texas, it seems, as it’s taken out a permit from the state’s commission for December.

It appears the UFC is headed back to “The Lone Star State” for its final domestic Fight Night event of 2023.

The promotion has requested an event permit to hold a card Dec. 2 in Austin, according to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR), which oversees the state’s combative sports events.

Three people with knowledge of the situation recently informed MMA Junkie of the targeted location but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an announcement. Additionally, two fighters set for the card, [autotag]Drakkar Klose[/autotag] and [autotag]Kelvin Gastelum[/autotag], also publicly indicated on social media Austin would be the location for their fight.

It’s the first time the promotion has been back to Texas since a San Antonio event in March at Moody Center. The promotion most recently visited Austin in March 2022 for UFC on ESPN 37. At the time, the event was the largest-grossing non-pay-per-view event in promotion history. The card topped by Josh Emmett vs. Calvin Kattar was action-packed with nine finishes on the card. UFC CEO Dana White was so impressed, all nine finishers received $50,000 performance bonuses.

The card does not currently have an announced headliner, though multiple contender bouts are slated for the card including Gastelum vs. [autotag]Sean Brady[/autotag], [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag], and [autotag]Jared Cannonier[/autotag] vs. [autotag]Roman Dolidze[/autotag].

The current UFC Fight Night lineup for Dec. 2 includes:

  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Rob Font
  • Sean Brady vs. Kelvin Gastelum
  • Jared Cannonier vs. Roman Dolidze
  • Julia Avila vs. Miesha Tate
  • Azamat Murzakanov vs. Khalil Rountree
  • Clay Guida vs. Joaquim Silva
  • Veronica Hardy vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
  • Puna Soriano vs. Dustin Stoltzfus
  • Drakkar Klose vs. Joe Solecki

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for the UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2.

Matchup Roundup: New UFC and Bellator fights announced in the past week (Sept. 18-24)

All the UFC and Bellator fight announcements that were first reported or confirmed by MMA Junkie in the past week.

MMA fight announcements are hard to follow. With so many outlets and channels available, it’s nearly impossible to organize.

But here at MMA Junkie, we’ve got your back.

Each week, we’ll compile all the newly surfaced fights in one spot. Every Monday, expect a feature listing everything you might have missed from the UFC or Bellator.

Here are the fight announcements that were broken or confirmed by MMA Junkie or officially announced by the promotions from Sept. 18-24.

Deiveson Figueiredo to make bantamweight debut vs. Rob Font at UFC Fight Night on Dec. 2

Rob Font said earlier this year that he wanted to introduce Deiveson Figueiredo to the UFC bantamweight division, and his wish has been granted.

[autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] said earlier this year that he wanted to introduce [autotag]Deiveson Figueiredo[/autotag] to the UFC bantamweight division.

His wish has been granted.

Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) and Figueiredo (21-3-1 MMA, 10-3-1 UFC) are set to meet in a 135-pound clash Dec. 2 at a UFC Fight Night event, which does not have an announced location or venue. Two people with knowledge of the situation informed MMA Junkie that contracts have been issued, but asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has yet to make an official announcement.

MMAFighting.com was first to report the booking on Friday.

Font, 36, is currently ranked No. 7 in the official UFC bantamweight rankings after losing three of his past four bouts. Font most recently lost a 140-pound catchweight bout by unanimous decision to Cory Sandhagen in a five-round headliner, which he accepted on short notice, on Aug. 5. Prior to that, Font snapped a two-fight skid when he defeated Adrian Yanez by first-round TKO in April at UFC 287.

After that win, Font expressed his desire to fight Figueiredo.

“I’d love to introduce him to the 135 division,” Font told reporters after UFC 287. “I think that’d be a fun fight. I think I like fighting big names. I definitely don’t want to fight backward, but I think me and him could definitely be a great fight.”

Figueiredo, 35, will be coming off a flyweight title-fight tetralogy in which he faced Brandon Moreno four consecutive times since December 2020. Figueiredo went 1-2-1 in those four fights, most recently losing by third-round doctor’s stoppage TKO this past January at UFC 283.

Figueiredo has openly talked about competing at bantamweight since the loss to Moreno and will finally make the move.

With the addition, here’s the updated UFC Fight Night lineup for Dec. 2:

  • Julia Avila vs. Miesha Tate
  • Veronica Hardy vs. Jamey-Lyn Horth
  • Deiveson Figueiredo vs. Rob Font

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Rob Font: ‘It was like I almost forgot how to wrestle’ in Cory Sandhagen loss

Rob Font didn’t expect his wrestling to be a gaping hole against Cory Sandhagen.

BOSTON – [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] didn’t expect his wrestling to be a gaping hole against [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag].

Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) was taken down seven times and controlled throughout the five rounds in a unanimous decision loss to Sandhagen in the UFC on ESPN 50 headliner. Font was originally scheduled to face Song Yadong in Saturday’s UFC 292 event, but ended up stepping in on short notice vs. Sandhagen to save the Nashville event.

Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) was successful in all his takedown attempts, and Font admits that his game plan threw him off.

“It was like I almost forgot how to wrestle,” Font told reporters, including MMA Junkie, during a media scrum. “It was annoying. I was expecting to strike a little bit more. Obviously, it didn’t go that way. Hat’s off to him. He played it smart. It’s just one of those things: I’ve just got to get to the room, get back to wrestling, because I felt better in fights before.

“This one, triggers just weren’t there. It just wasn’t coming off, and you add in five rounds. It’s crazy how five rounds feels like, and it goes by so quick when you’re losing. It’s just annoying, one of those things where I had a huge opportunity. I would have been here on a ‘W,’ looking to get that title shot, but it didn’t work out. (I’m) obviously grateful for the opportunity, just kind of felt like I fumbled it.”

Font would love a quick turnaround to take the bitter taste of defeat out of his mouth, but will get back to the drawing board first – preferably on the same date as Calvin Kattar’s return.

“Ideally, I would like to jump on a card with Calvin – kind of peak at the same time, get that feel again,” Font said. “My emotional side says let me get back in there as soon as possible, but I know I need to tighten up a couple of things. I need to really lock it in and really just get my triggers back.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

Aljamain Sterling not impressed with Cory Sandhagen’s win over Rob Font: ‘Respectfully, it was a sh*t fight’

Aljamain Sterling wasn’t fond of Cory Sandhagen’s performance at UFC on ESPN 50.

[autotag]Aljamain Sterling[/autotag] wasn’t fond of [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]’s performance at UFC on ESPN 50.

Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) put on a grappling clinic en route to a dominant decision win over [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) this past Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

Sandhagen, who suffered a quick submission loss to Sterling in June 2020, was in firm control throughout the fight, but UFC bantamweight champion Sterling thinks he could have done more.

“Honestly, respectfully, it was a sh*t fight,” Sterling told ESPN. “Cory did what he had to do to win, so I respect that. Font definitely needs to pick up on his grappling to escape, give up your back, go to all fours, something. You can’t just sit down on your back and kind of just lay there hoping for a submission. It doesn’t work like that – not at this level. I think that kind of showed myself and Merab (Dvalishvili) that there’s levels to this. There’s a reason why we’re at the top.”

Although he revealed he injured his tricep in the fight, Sandhagen called for a title shot after defeating Font. But Sterling doesn’t see this win propelling him a step further in his title pursuit.

“I think he stays right where he is,” Sterling said. “Unfortunately, injury is part of sport. I can’t take anything away from him. Obviously tearing a tricep is a big thing. I’ve torn my bicep before. I’ve got a partially torn one, also. I know what it’s like to deal with injuries in a fight.

“I just think he could have done a little bit more on top. Your tricep doesn’t stop you from dropping elbows. It doesn’t stop you from punching. There’s levels to this, and respect to him for implementing grappling now to his arsenal – but there’s levels.”

Sterling defends his title against Sean O’Malley in the UFC 292 main event on Aug. 19 at TD Garden in Boston. “The Funkmaster” hinted on several occasions that his days at 135 pounds are numbered, suggesting that Sandhagen could get his desired title shot after all – but not against him.

“You’ve got a guy in Merab who’s right there, as well,” Sterling said. “Maybe they’ll be fighting for the vacant title.”

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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

UFC on ESPN 50 post-event facts: Cory Sandhagen, Rob Font set dubious record for lack of strikes

Check out all the facts and figures from UFC on ESPN 50, where Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font set a dubious record for strikes landed in a fight.

The UFC made its sixth stop in Nashville, Tenn., on Saturday with UFC on ESPN 50, which took place at Bridgestone Arena and saw seven of 12 fights on the card end in a decision.

Among those were the main event, where [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) cruised to a unanimous decision win over [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a 140-pound catchweight fight that featured a substantial lack of action.

For more on the numbers behind the headliner, as well as the rest of the card, check below for MMA Junkie’s post-event facts from UFC on ESPN 50.

UFC on ESPN 50 Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay: Jessica Andrade’s $21,000 tops card

UFC on ESPN 50 fighters took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay, a program that continued after the UFC’s deal with Venum.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Fighters from Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 50 event took home UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance pay totaling $170,500.

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 50 took place at Bridgestone Arena. The card aired on ESPN and streamed on ESPN+.

The full UFC on ESPN 50 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts included:

* * * *

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag]: $16,000

[autotag]Tatiana Suarez[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jessica Andrade[/autotag]: $21,000

[autotag]Dustin Jacoby[/autotag]: $11,000
def. [autotag]Kennedy Nzechukwu[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Diego Lopes[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Gavin Tucker[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Tanner Boser[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Aleksa Camur[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Ludovit Klein[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Ignacio Bahamondes[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Kyler Phillips[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Raoni Barcelos[/autotag]: $6,000

[autotag]Carlston Harris[/autotag]: $4,500
def. [autotag]Jeremiah Wells[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Billy Quarantillo[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Damon Jackson[/autotag]: $11,000

[autotag]Cody Durden[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Jake Hadley[/autotag]: $4,500

[autotag]Sean Woodson[/autotag]: $6,000
def. [autotag]Dennis Buzukja[/autotag]: $4,000

[autotag]Asu Almabaev[/autotag]: $4,000
def. [autotag]Ode Osbourne[/autotag]: $6,000

Under the UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance program’s payout tiers, which appropriate the money generated by Venum’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 $4,000 per appearance; 4-5 bouts get $4,500; 6-10 bouts get $6,000; 11-15 bouts earn $11,000; 16-20 bouts pocket $16,000; and 21 bouts and more get $21,000. Additionally, champions earn $50,000 while title challengers get $50,000.

In addition to experience-based pay, UFC fighters will receive in perpetuity royalty payments amounting to 20-50 percent of any UFC merchandise sold that bears their likeness, according to officials.

Full 2023 UFC Promotional Guidelines Compliance payouts:

Year-to-date total: $5,222,000
2022 total: $8,351,500
2021 total: $6,167,500
Program-to-date total: $19,811,000

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.

UFC on ESPN 50 play-by-play and live results

Check out live play-by-play and official results from UFC on ESPN 50 in Nashville, Tenn.

UFC on ESPN 50 took place Saturday at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn.

In the main event, Cory Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) took on Rob Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in a key bantamweight fight. In the co-feature, former women’s strawweight champion Jessica Andrade (24-12 MMA, 15-10 UFC) meets unbeaten contender Tatiana Suarez (10-0 MMA, 7-0 UFC).

Check out round-by-round updates below.

Enjoy the fights, everyone.

‘Dana White walked out’: Twitter reacts to Cory Sandhagen’s win over Rob Font at UFC on ESPN 50

The MMA community had a mix of criticism and praise for Cory Sandhagen after his UFC on ESPN 50 main event win over Rob Font.

[autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] enhanced his case for a bantamweight title shot on Saturday when he defeated [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] in the UFC on ESPN 50 main event.

Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) emerged with a lopsided unanimous decision win over fellow bantamweight contender Font (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) in their 140-pound catchweight headliner at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn., and potentially set himself up to challenge the winner of the Aljamain Sterling vs. Sean O’Malley title fight, which goes down at UFC 292 in two weeks.

Check below for the top Twitter reactions to Sandhagen’s victory over Font at UFC on ESPN 50.

UFC on ESPN 50 results: Cory Sandhagen dominates Rob Font with wrestling, calls for title shot with Sterling-O’Malley winner

If Cory Sandhagen needed to work on his wrestling to win a title, he showed that progression Saturday with a dominant win over Rob Font.

If [autotag]Cory Sandhagen[/autotag] needed to work on his wrestling to win a title, he showed that progression Saturday.

It may not have been the tune the fans in “Music City” wanted to hear to close the night, but Sandhagen’s takedowns and top control en route to a unanimous decision gave him a safe win and kept him in the title mix. It also may not have been what his boss wanted to see. Social media reports during the headliner indicated UFC president Dana White left his cageside seat in the middle of the fight and didn’t come back.

Sandhagen (17-4 MMA, 10-3 UFC) largely outwrestled [autotag]Rob Font[/autotag] (20-7 MMA, 10-6 UFC) on his way to a unanimous decision in their 140-pound contract weight bout, which was the UFC on ESPN 50 main event at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tenn. The fight was five pounds up from bantamweight because Font took it on less than three weeks’ notice.

Sandhagen swept the judges’ scorecards for a trio of 50-45 scores and his third straight win and landed all seven of his takedown attempts. Then he called for a title shot against the winner of bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley, who fight in two weeks in Boston.

“I wanted to put a more exciting fight on. I’ve been dealing with a lot of elbow problems recently, and I think I tore my tricep in the first round. … I’m a wrestler now, apparently. Sterling and O’Malley, I’ll see you guys in Boston. I’ve got next.”

Sandhagen shot for a takedown about 15 seconds into the fight and got it. But he found himself in a bit of a precarious spot when Font latched onto his neck for a guillotine choke attempt. Sandhagen defended well, though, and when Font worked for a kimura a few moments later, it allowed him to roll his way off the canvas and back to his feet. But two minutes in, Sandhagen quickly shot for another takedown, and he landed a solid right hand when Font tried to get back to his feet. With 30 seconds left in the frame, Font caught a Sandhagen kick and used it for a takedown, though he didn’t do much with the position other than remind Sandhagen he was there for a fight.

The second round was a dominant one for Sandhagen with a quick takedown, then top control throughout the frame. Font’s defense from his back was good enough to keep Sandhagen from getting momentum toward a finish. All that was worth, though, was Font had to suffer the same plight in the middle round. Sandhagen took him down a little later that round, but still added another more than four minutes of control time to his stats. With a minute left, he landed some solid punches from up top. Font got back to his feet with 35 seconds left and had to duck away from a second Sandhagen jumping knee.

After the third, the fans in “Music City” weren’t shy about letting Sandhagen in particular know their disappointment that 15 minutes hadn’t brought much of a barnburner for their last fight of the night. Font’s head coach, Tyson Chartier, told hm he needed to wake up in the final two rounds if he wanted to win the fight.

But 20 seconds into the fourth, Sandhagen drilled another easy takedown, and Font’s frustrations continued. They carried over to the fifth, a round in which Sandhagen at least threatened for a few moments with a D’Arce choke, until Sandhagen heard his scorecard sweep announced by Bruce Buffer.

Sandhagen won for the third straight time after back-to-back losses to T.J. Dillashaw and former champ Petr Yan in an interim title fight. Font went back to the loss column after a win over Adrian Yanez, and the Boston-based bantamweight now has dropped three of his past four.

Up-to-the-minute UFC on ESPN 49 results include:

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ESPN 50.