Rob Font will meet two-time UFC Featherweight champ Jose Aldo in a bantamweight fight that will serve as the headliner of this week’s installment of UFC on ESPN, slated for Saturday night at the UFC Apex Facility in Las Vegas.In the co-main event, Brad Riddell will face Rafael Fiziev in a lightweight fight. You can watch the whole night’s action on ESPN or ESPN+.
Don’t miss the complete fight card as well as some of our UFC betting suggestions.
UFC on ESPN 31: Font vs Aldo Preview
Main Card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Rob Font vs Jose Aldo (Bantamweight)
Brad Riddell vs Rafael Fiziev (Lightweight)
Clay Guida vs Leonardo Santos (Lightweight)
Jimmy Crute vs Jamahal Hill (Light Heavyweight)
Brendan Allen vs Chris Curtis (Middleweight)
Bryan Barberena vs Darian Weeks (Welterweight)
Preliminary Card (ESPN / ESPN+)
Maki Pitolo vs Dusko Todorovic (Middleweight)
Manel Kape vs Zhalgas Zhumagulov (Flyweight)
Jake Matthews vs Jeremiah Wells (Welterweight)
Cheyanne Buys vs Mallory Martin (Women’s Strawweight)
Alonzo Menifield vs William Knight (Light Heavyweight)
Claudio Puelles vs Chris Gruetzemacher (Lightweight)
Jared Vanderaa vs Azamat Murzakanov (Heavyweight)
Alex Morono vs Mickey Gall (Welterweight)
Louis Smolka vs Vince Morales (Bantamweight)
Rob Font vs Jose Aldo gives us a new top contender in Font, who took down former champ Cody Garbrandt in his last fight, giving him a four-fight winning streak and almost giving him an interim title shot. However, an illness kept Font from being able to take a fight with Petr Yan. Aldo has dropped down to bantamweight for this and looks to restart his career; so far, things are going well, with two straight wins.
The winner of this fight will no doubt get a title contender elimination bout, if not a title shot outright. Both of these fighters are in the top five of a stacked bantamweight division, as they have both beaten quality fighters and keep improving. Font came into UFC in 2014, putting up a 10-1 record overall before delivering an emphatic knockout against George Roop at UFC 175. In UFC fights, he has a 9-3 record, and his victims also include Marlon Moraes. His style consists of bringing accurate combos and precisely timed counters to open up holes in his opponents’ defenses. He does not move too quickly but instead uses a calculated approach to work open holes in their defenses.
Some former champs fight longer than they should and end up taking some bad losses late in their career. Aldo has not reached that point, who needed some adjustment time as a bantamweight but now has a 2-2 record. He started in a split decision loss against Moraes and then a loss to Petr Yan in a shot at the vacant belt. He has since beaten Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz easily, thanks to his accurate striking. He uses body shots, combos and leg kicks to open up his opponent. Font has not fought anyone with the experience or technique of Aldo, and Aldo should remain a step or two ahead the whole way before he catches Font napping.
Final Prediction: Aldo wins via TKO : Bet the Game Today
Brad Riddell vs Rafael Fiziev is Riddell’s attempt at keeping his UFC record unbeaten. Both of these pugilists started out in Muay Thai and kickboxing, but they have become more well rounded martial arts experts as time has gone by. Both prefer to rely on their striking. Fiziev has the better track record overall and the stronger Muay Thai background. Riddell has kickboxing skills, but not enough to keep him from eating a bomb from Riddell.
Final Prediction: Fiziev wins via TKO : Bet the Game Today
UFC Betting Odds
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