In the Clinch: Can Font Fend Off Vera? UFC on ESPN 35

In the Clinch: Can Font Fend Off Vera? UFC on ESPN 35 – There is no rest for the weary in the combat sports, particularly in the UFC bantamweight division.

The momentum of the streaking No. 5 Rob Font (19-5-0), 34, was stopped by former champion Jose Aldo. Before you know it, No. 8 Marlon Vera (18-7-1), 29, is breathing down his neck, looking to take his spot.

Vera has some new momentum of his own after an Aldo defeat. He decisioned Davey Grant and then stopped former champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 268 last November. Fans will remember him for taking the zero away from phenom Sean O’Malley.

Vera is a finisher and if the opportunity presents itself Saturday, expect him to take full advantage. He is five years younger than Font and should be the fresher guy in the octagon. If he can respect Font’s ground game without shying away from openings, perhaps he can even get the tap.

Of course, Font has other ideas. He has only been submitted once and never been knocked out. He may be 34, but he has beaten some good fighters in former champ Cody Garbrandt, Marlon Moraes, Ricky Simon, and current Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis.

Font did lose to Aldo, but he didn’t look out of place in there. It was a competitive fight, against an all-time great. We’ll see if he can apply the lessons from that fight against Vera. He better, because at 34, the clock is ticking to nab that elusive title shot he has been chasing since his octagon debut back in 2014.

A loss affects Font more than Vera, so the motivation edge should lie with Font. How Font decides to fight will affect how this goes, as Vera will be likely be pressuring from the start. Just win, baby.

In the Clinch: Can Font Fend Off Vera? UFC on ESPN 35 – More Resources

• 2022 Panini Select UFC Trading Cards
• 2021 Panini UFC Prizm Trading Cards Checklist
• 2020 Topps UFC Striking Signatures Trading Cards Checklist
• 2019 Topps UFC Chrome Trading Cards Checklist

Rob Font

• Beckett Card Catalog
• UFC.com Profile
• Secondary Market Pricing

Marlon Vera

• Beckett Card Catalog
• UFC.com Profile
• Secondary Market Pricing

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Kenai Andrews

Kenai Andrews lives in Toronto, Canada and is the Editor-in-Chief of MMA Crossfire (http://www.mmacrossfire.com) and the host of the TKO Countdown show. Contact Kenai on Twitter or Instagram @kenaiandrews. Enjoy the fights.

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