UFC on Fox 31: Lee vs. Iaquinta 2 - Predictions and Picks

#3 Rob Font vs. Sergio Pettis

Rob Font will be looking to give Sergio Pettis a rude welcoming to 135lbs

The younger Pettis brother makes a move back to 135lbs here for the first time since 2014 – perhaps pre-empting the death of the Flyweight division – to face off with a tricky sounding opponent in Boston’s Rob Font. The reason this is tricky? Font is a huge 135lber, meaning Pettis won’t just be the smaller man – he’ll be far smaller in the cage and will give up nearly 3 inches of reach.

Font has largely flown under the radar since his 2015 UFC debut – he uses his long reach and lanky physique to land heavy strikes from the outside and like many taller, longer fighters, he’s also adept at catching chokes, particularly the guillotine. Perhaps his best UFC showing was his win over Douglas Silva de Andrade in 2017 – but that was immediately followed up with a poor loss to Pedro Munhoz. It’s this inconsistency that’s largely held him back thus far.

Pettis meanwhile was knocking on the door of a title shot at 125lbs earlier this year, but a loss to Jussier Formiga put paid to that idea. It wasn’t the first time he fell at the final hurdle – if he’d beaten Henry Cejudo last December, he’d have been on a 4 fight win streak and likely would’ve been granted a shot at Demetrious Johnson.

Pettis is a dynamic offensive fighter; less flashy than his brother, his striking is tight, as we saw when he comfortably outstruck the likes of John Moraga and Brandon Moreno. His grappling has always looked solid too, but he has struggled with the takedowns and ground control of better wrestlers like Cejudo, Formiga and Moreno at times during their fight.

Where Pettis has shown issues has been with his durability. He was knocked out by Ryan Benoit in 2015, and has been hurt in other fights too – even ones against less-than-heavy hitters. It hasn’t mattered too much at 125lbs, where knockout power isn’t common, but back at 135 lbs, it could come back to the forefront.

I’m worried for Pettis here as I think this is a horrible fight for him to return to 135lbs with. Font is one of the biggest guys at the weight and while he’s not a perfect fighter by any means, his striking power and sheer size make him sound like a horrible match for ‘The Phenom’. Pettis would have a chance against some higher ranked Bantamweights, I feel, but not a man who’s taken out Thomas Almeida standing.

The Pick: Font via second round KO