Rob Font vs Kyler Phillips set for UFC Vegas 98
No. 10 ranked UFC bantamweight contender Rob Font (20-8) has his next bout lined up 10 months removed from his latest appearance, as he’s slated to face no. 11 ranked Kyler Phillips later this Fall at UFC Vegas 98.
UFC Vegas 98 is to go down on October 19, 2024, live from the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Font has been on a bit of a downward spiral as of late, going 1-4 over his latest five appearances, though fighting some of the very best in each of those encounters.
Following defeat to a longtime top contender at 135 lbs in Raphael Assuncao back in 2018 Font would go on to win his next four-straight, beginning with a victory over future, now former Bellator bantamweight champion Sergio Pettis (UD), who would go on to win his next six-straight after losing to him.
This impressive universally scored 30-27 performance was followed up by wins over former LFA bantamweight champion Ricky Simon (UD), who would go on his own five-fight win streak following defeat to Font, former WSOF bantamweight champion and former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Moraes (KO), as well as former UFC bantamweight champion Cody Garbrandt (UD).
Font would then lose back-to-back five round battles to former WEC and UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo, and then Marlon Vera, each man of which dropped and nearly finished him multiple times though his chin of steel kept him from being stopped in both encounters.
The New England Cartel protege then rebounded with a stunning stoppage victory over Adrian Yanez (TKO), who was 5-0 in the UFC with four knockouts at the time, before losing another pair of battles to no. 4 ranked Cory Sandhagen (UD) and former UFC flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo (UD).
At 37 years of age this is a make-or-break fight for Rob Font, who aims to keep the surging Kyler Phillips outside of the top 10 bantamweight rankings.
Phillips, having just turned 29 years old in June, two weeks before Font turned 37, seems to be entering his physical prime, looking better and better each time we see him compete.
An MMA Lab student, Phillips came to the UFC in 2020, winning his first three octagon fights over the likes of Gabriel Silva (UD), Cameron Else (TKO), and current no. 8 ranked Song Yadong (UD).
Phillips then lost to Raulian Paiva (MD) before going on his recent three-fight win streak where he defeated Marcelo Rojo (triangle armbar), Raoni Barcelos (UD), and then Pedro Munhoz (UD), bumping Munhoz out of the top 15 rankings with that victory earlier this year in March.
Who wins this bantamweight bout going down at UFC Vegas 98?
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