MMA Preview – Cory Sandhagen vs Rob Font at UFC on ESPN 50
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CORY SANDHAGEN VS ROB FONT FACTS
When is UFC on ESPN 50? Sunday 6th August, 2023 - 00:00 start (UK)
Where is UFC on ESPN 50? Bridgestone Arena, Nashville, Tennessee (US)
Where can I get tickets for UFC on ESPN 50? Click here to buy tickets for UFC Fight Night
What channel is UFC on ESPN 50 on? BT Sport 1
Where can I stream UFC on ESPN 50? BT Sport subscribers can stream the fight online via the BT Sport website
For viewers in the United States, the event will be shown live on ESPN+ and you can sign up for access as part of a Disney Bundle here!
CORY SANDHAGEN VS ROB FONT LOWDOWN
Cory Sandhagen (16-4) bravely answered the call to fight Umar Nurmagomedov putting his ranking on the line for little gain. That huge opportunity for the Russian, slipped through his hands after injuring his shoulder, but thankfully Sandhagen still headlines the card. After his loss to Petr Yan (2021) for the interim bantamweight championship, he is desperate to get back in the title picture and is well on his way after knocking out Yadong Song (2022) and schooling Marlon Vera (2023) for five rounds.
Rob Font (20-6) fills the Nurmagomedov void and he is coming off one of the best performances of his career. He was responding to two unanimous decisions to Jose Aldo (2021) who snapped a four-fight win streak and Marlon Vera (2022). He met Adrian Yanez (2023) at UFC 287 who was on a nine-fight win streak including seven knockouts and gave him a taste of his own medicine in the first round.
CORY SANDHAGEN VS ROB FONT PREDICTION
This is at a catchweight of 140 lbs to give Font a better chance of making weight. That will also suit Sandhagen who will not have to force off those extra pounds. He will inevitably be the favourite, but Font can easily cause the upset as he is extremely durable, experienced and is technically sound.
His boxing and in particular his jab and left hook gives everyone problems. He will also have a slight reach advantage despite giving up three in height. He is deadly at close range, but Sandhagen is deadly at all ranges and has the ability to conduct the distance with his movement.
He is an incredibly diverse striker and threatens with eight limbs and as long as he respects the beautiful basics of Font, he should be able to pick him apart at will.
We expect the first round to be very competitive, but as the fight goes on, Sandhagen will download more data to find his rhythm, range and set up traps. He is also likely to mix in takedowns to keep Font guessing.
Font has only been submitted once and has never been knocked out, so we expect him to last five rounds, but we are backing Sandhagen to punish him and take him to his limit.
Prediction: Sandhagen via Decision
