UFC Vegas 44: Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo preview and prediction

UFC Vegas 44: Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo preview and prediction for this Saturday’s event.

UFC Vegas 44 goes down this Saturday from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. The event is headlined by the former UFC men’s featherweight champion Jose Aldo, as he takes on No. 4 ranked bantamweight contender Rob Font.

Back in July at UFC 265, Aldo had a spectacular performance against Pedro Munhoz, picking up a clear and decisive unanimous decision over the fellow Brazillian UFC bantamweight.

As for Font, the New England local picked up a statement win at UFC Vegas 27, earning a unanimous decision over former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt, in what was an exciting five-round fight.

On Saturday, Font looks to add another former champion to the list of names he has overcome, as he faces Aldo in the second UFC main event of his career.

UFC Vegas 44: Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo preview

Font is 9-3 since making his UFC debut back in 2014, with six of his nine wins coming by way of stoppage. Meanwhile, Jose Aldo holds a remarkable 30-7 record as a pro, including a 12-6 record since making his UFC debut back in 2011.

While Aldo has been experiencing a resurgence of his career as of late, the Brazillian MMA legend is just 5-5 in his last ten Octagon appearances.

Sportsbooks such as WynnBet opened with as the clear -170 betting favorite. However, Aldo has since taken a heavy stream of action and the line sits with Font currently priced at odds of -145.

Aldo comes in as the betting underdog for the first time since losing to Petr Yan back at UFC 251, Meanwhile, Font comes in as the betting favorite in back to back main events, and has now been lined as the chalk fighter in three of his last four fights, holding a 4-0 record in that stretch.

While Aldo has improved his boxing significantly since training with the Brazillian Marine Corps boxing team, the focus on boxing has left him noticeably flat-footed at times. This might cause problems against a taller and rangy fighter like Font, who has a very explosive and devastating jab that can take the fight where Font wants it to go.

If Font can stay mobile, stay out of the pocket, and away from the devastating body shots of Aldo, he may be able to cruise to a unanimous decision or earn a late-round stoppage after the dividends of his jab have paid off.

While it wouldn’t be a shock to see the 35-year-old Aldo pull off the upset, it will likely be Font that gets the win in this match-up, making it five in a round for the New Englander.

Prediction: Font by T/KO. 

UFC Vegas 44 takes place on Saturday, Dec. 4, live from the UFC APEX in Las Vegas, NV. Follow along with FanSided MMA, who is on-site, for all your news and highlights.