UFC Fight Night: Cody Garbrandt vs. Rob Font
Ready for Garbrandt vs. Font Free UFC Fight Night Free Picks and betting odds & predictions? Here is a full breakdown of the leadup, what to expect during the fight, and some logical outcomes.
Event: UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Garbrandt
Date: May 22nd, 2021
Time: Main Card: 4 P.M. PST.
Location: UFC Apex
Broadcast: PPV on ESPN+
Main Event: Cody Garbrandt vs Rob Font
On Saturday night, the future of the Bantamweight landscape will be decided. The matchup will be between the dark horse of the division, Rob Font, and the Bantamweight former champion, Cody Garbrandt.
Cody (No Love) Garbrandt (-110)
Owner of the fastest hands in the universe, Cody “No Love” Garbarant overcame the odds and accomplished a goal with a 1.9% chance of success. In a division where KO/TKOs only occur 27% of the time, Cody went on a three-fight KO streak on his way to taking the 135-pound strap. When “No Love” steps into the octagon, it is a virtual guarantee that when his hand gets raised at the end of the fight, his opponent will be taking a coerced nap beside him.
His record backs this up as well, as Cody has only gone to a decision twice out of 15 octagon appearances. That is less than the most powerful puncher in the UFC, Francis Ngannou, who has gone to decision three times in his 19 fight career. With obscene hand speed, knockout power, and lengthy boxing combinations; Cody looked as though he was going to serve a long tenure as the Bantamweight Champion.
Unfortunately, Cody subsequently managed to replicate his incredible knockout streak in the opposite direction, again beating the odds by being KO/TKOed three consecutive times. This loss skid birthed two things, the creation of the nickname Cody “No Chin” Garbarandt, and the reinstatement of Cody’s drive to compete at the top of the game. In his most recent outing, Cody snapped his losing skid while snapping Raphael Assuncao’s jaw; with a right-hand bomb so impressive it nearly landed him a title shot. Covid-19 put an end to these plans, as Cody caught the virus and subsequently endured some serious effects. Now that he has recovered, Cody has his eyes set on UFC gold once again. Whether he can perform well enough to put him into title contention is up to him.
Rob Font (-110)
Riding a 3 fight win streak and the recipient of 4 UFC performance bonuses, Rob Font is a very dangerous opponent. With a Muay Thai and BJJ background, Rob is a sniper on the feet and can threaten submissions on the ground. Crisp fundamental striking is the name of the game for Rob, and he will frequently put together one-twos that can put any opponent’s lights out. With a long reach of 71 inches, he will have a six-inch reach advantage over the short-armed Garbrandt.
Better accuracy, good defense, and a rock-solid chin make Rob Font a good pick in this matchup.
Prediction
Cody’s pedigree and hand speed are impressive, but they also distract from some glaring holes in his game from a statistical standpoint. Although he attracts the eye when he throws, he throws less and misses more than nearly every top 10 Bantamweight.
When it comes to the number of strikes landed per minute, Garbrandt is dead last out of all top ten Bantamweights, landing a measly 3.35 strikes per minute. Rob Font on the other hand throws 5.21 strikes per minute, which results in him throwing 3 strikes for every 2 of Cody’s. Furthermore, at 37% striking accuracy, Cody misses more than all other top ten fighters besides Dominick “punches like he’s underwater” Cruz.
These analytics result in Cody taking a strike every time he throws one, a very rare statistic for a top-five fighter. Moreover, Rob Font lands more strikes per minute compared to Cody’s previous competition, which will likely result in Cody being hit more than he hits Rob in this matchup. For a fighter with a questionable chin, this puts Garbrandt in a very tough position. Even more compelling, Font has never been stopped in his career, and this might indicate that if Cody tries to engage in a wild firefight, as he usually does, “No Love” will likely be the one doing a Ben Askren impression on the canvas.
Rob Font bests Cody in every statistical striking category. Thus, Rob should have no issues picking up a win against Cody Garbrandt, a fighter who throws fewer strikes than a pacifist monk.
Cody throws strikes too infrequently and gets knocked out too easily, which means that I’m pawning off my fiancés’ engagement ring and putting it on Rob Font.
Calling a Rob Font win and Cody Garbrandt KO loss via a draft of wind in the stadium.
MMA Betting UFC Fight Night: Rob Font (-110)