- Cody Garbrandt knocked out Raphael Assunção in stunning fashion in 2020.
- Garbrandt has not fought since, for a variety of reasons.
- He faces off against Rob Font in a matchup that could make or break both men.
LAS VEGAS - Cody Garbrandt makes his return to the octagon against Rob Font, in a matchup between the fourth and third ranked bantamweights in the UFC.
Garbrandt’s last fight was in March of 2020, and he has been through a cancelled move to flyweight, a COVID-19 diagnosis, and a torn bicep since then.
Rob Font, meanwhile, has slowly put together a three fight winstreak across two years, defeating Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon and Marlon Moraes.
The matchup looks to be remarkably even on paper, with the online sportsbooks divided on who the favorite will be.
Rob Font vs. Cody Garbrandt Odds To Win
- Rob Font -110
- Cody Garbrandt -110
Garbrandt has certainly reached higher heights than Font has in the UFC, having won the UFC Bantamweight Championship.
Still, his tumultuous 2020, and his losses to T.J. Dillashaw and Pedro Munhoz before it, leave some question marks on his resume.
It’s unclear whether his stunning KO victory over Raphael Assunção was a fluke, or a genuine return to form from Garbrandt.
Even if it was a return to form, it’s unclear if he’s still in that form after injuries, COVID-19, an attempted weight class change, and 14 months.
For Font, the question marks are a bit more straightforward.
Font has an 18-4 record as a professional MMA fighter, but his biggest victories in the UFC were current UFC sixth ranked bantamweight Marlon Moraes and seventh-ranked-in-Bellator Sergio Pettis.
In addition, he’s fought one fight a year for the past three years - defeating Pettis in December 2018, Simon in December 2019, and Moraes in December 2020.
This fight with Garbrandt is off schedule, and it’s unclear how that could affect Font.
In addition, one of the four losses on his resume is to Raphael Assunção, the man Garbrandt KO’d in brutal fashion.
In other words, this is a matchup between two fighters with everything to prove, and everything to lose.
It should be a spectacular one, and sports betting fans will get a shot to wager on it on Saturday.