Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font do not shy away from a fight. The two blistering bantamweights meet at UFC Fight Night in Nashville.
Sandhagen (16-4) has long been dubbed a future world champion by fans and analysts, but the Colorado native has fallen short three times against former or future UFC champions. After exploding on the scene with highlight-reel knockouts, Sandhagen has presented more complex puzzles over the long haul with a decision win over Marlon Vera and a Round 4 doctor stoppage against Song Yadong. Sandhagen has to pivot to Font following an injury suffered by his original opponent, Umar Nurmagomedov. The details are tweaked but the principle is the same: confuse and overload opponents.
"I'm able to make people process things at a speed that is exhausting, " Sandhagen told CBS Sports. "When I'm switching my feet all the time and constantly fainting and changing levels -- which is something that I've added in -- and I'm throwing with all my limbs, it becomes super exhausting to track down what I'm doing. I think that's one of the main keys to why everyone else isn't able to really keep up. It's too much input for people to try and keep up with."
Check out the full interview with Cory Sandhagen below.
Font (20-6) roared back into fans' minds after tough losses to Jose Aldo and "Chito" Vera. The Vera loss was particularly difficult with Font suffering three takedowns. A one-year layoff was exactly the recalibration period he needed. Font welcomed fellow boxing savant Adrian Yanez into the bantamweight elite and starched him in one round. It was exactly the sort of performance against a highly-touted prospect that a veteran like Font needed. Defeating Sandhagen, especially on short notice, is no easy feat but a victory would put him as close as he's ever been to a UFC title in a career spanning 12 years.
"I think I have the best jab in the division," Font told CBS Sports. "I feel like once I get my jab going and get it popping, I disrupt people's rhythm and timing. I really start finding my power punches, my kicks and some takedowns here and there. I think it really separates me from the rest."
Check out the full interview with Rob Font below.
The co-main event sees the return of Tatiana Suarez as she takes on Jessica Andrade in a flyweight contest. Suarez, 32, has been plagued by injuries in her career. Back problems caused her to miss three full years of competition, but she has returned in a big way with a submission of Montana De La Rosa in February. Andrade, meanwhile, is hoping to get in the win column for the first time in 2023 after stoppage losses to Erin Blanchfield and Yan Xioanan.
The rest of the undercard fills out with a light heavyweight tilt between Kennedy Nzechukwu and Dustin Jacoby; there's a featherweight contest set to match Diego Lopes against Gavin Tucker; another light heavyweight contest where Tanner Boser challenges Aleksa Camur and lightweights open the main card when Ignancio Bahamondes takes on Ludovit Klein.
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Below is the rest of the fight card for Saturday night with the latest odds before we get to a prediction and pick on the main event.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weight class |
|---|---|---|
| Cory Sandhagen -340 | Rob Font +265 | Catchweight (140 pounds) |
| Tatiana Suarez -360 | Jessica Andrade +280 | Women's strawweight |
| Kennedy Nzechukwu -165 | Dustin Jacoby +140 | Light heavyweight |
| Diego Lopes -175 | Gavin Tucker +150 | Featherweight |
| Tanner Boser -160 | Aleksa Camur +135 | Light heavyweight |
| Ignacio Bahamondes -225 | Ludovit Klein +285 | Lightweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Aug. 5 | Start time: 9 p.m. ET (main card)
Location: Bridgestone Arena -- Nashville, Tennessee
TV channel: ESPN | Stream: fubo (Try for free)
Prediction
Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font: Font's reputation as one of the UFC's best boxers is well-deserved. People will mostly remember the three knockdowns he suffered at Vera's hands, but Font out-landed "Chito" by 112 strikes. The problem Font is going to run into is Sandhagen's elusiveness and expert game planning. Their striking stats are comparable and should make for an exciting fight. Sandhagen benefits from a more diverse striking and grappling arsenal. The opening rounds will be close but I expect Sandhagen to make better reads, set better traps and fight with a ferocity that will pull him ahead by the end of Round 5. Sandhagen via UD
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