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When former two-time champion Jose Aldo made the decision to drop from featherweight to bantamweight, it felt like a desperate move in the late stages of a legendary career. Aldo has found new life at 135 pounds, however, and he’ll look to run his winning streak to three on Saturday when he faces Rob Font in the main event of UFC Fight Night.
Aldo actually lost his first two trips to the Octagon as a bantamweight, dropping a mildly controversial split decision against Marlon Moraes but still was awarded a shot at the then-vacant title in his next outing. Aldo was stopped by Petr Yan in the fifth round of that title fight but surprised many by being competitive before Yan took over the fight.
Since those losses, Aldo has picked up back-to-back wins, beating Marlon Vera and Pedro Muhoz in solid performances.
While Vera and Munhoz are solid fighters at 135 pounds, beating Font will be a much bigger task for Aldo.
While Font has been a member of the UFC roster since 2014, his current four-fight winning streak has driven him to a point as a potential title challenger. After a 5-3 start to his Octagon career, Font has now picked up wins over Sergio Pettis, Ricky Simon, Marlon Moraes and former champion Cody Garbrandt.
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A win over Aldo would give Font back-to-back wins over former UFC champions and would place him firmly into the title picture. However, Font knows the complicated title picture, with bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling sidelined by injury and interim champion Petr Yan all but guaranteed a rematch with Sterling, means he could be waiting for his opportunity for a while.
“The champ [Sterling] still has to come back and fight Petr,” Font recently told CBS Sports. “If he’s still sidelined, I might be able to jump in there and get the Petr fight. If Aljamain is healthy and active, I think they fight and it leaves me and T.J. out there. I’m in a weird spot where even a big finish or win, I’m still stuck waiting.”
The co-main event may be as intriguing as the headliner on Saturday night. Wild strikers Rafael Fiziev and Brad Riddell meet in a lightweight contest sure to set the winner on a course toward a top-10 ranking in the division. Fiziev, the 28-year-old native of Kazakhstan, has been nothing short of spectacular of late with four straight wins after suffering a TKO loss in his promotional debut. Riddell, meanwhile, just keeps winning as he enters a winner of seven straight.
Plus, the other feature bouts bring some veterans and risings prospects worth keeping an eye on. Leonardo Santos takes on 10-year-veteran Clay Guida in a lightweight contest, Jimmy Crute looks to bounce back from a freak injury TKO loss when he faces off against Jamahal Hill in a light heavyweight bout, and middleweights Brendan Allen and Chris Curtis also meet on the main card.
Here’s the fight card for UFC Fight Night with the latest odds from Caesars Sportsbook.
UFC Fight Night card, odds
| Favorite | Underdog | Weightclass |
|---|---|---|
|
Rob Font -140 |
Jose Aldo +120 |
Bantamweight |
|
Rafael Fiziev -130 |
Brad Riddell +110 |
Lightweight |
|
Leonardo Santos -190 |
Clay Guida +160 |
Lightweight |
| Jimmy Crute -165 | Jamahal Hill +140 | Light heavyweight |
| Brendan Allen -360 | Chris Curtis +280 | Middleweight |
| Bryan Barberena -120 | Darian Weeks +100 | Welterweight |
UFC Fight Night viewing information
Date: Dec. 4 | Start time: 10 p.m. ET
Location: UFC Apex — Las Vegas, Nevada
Stream: ESPN+
Prediction
Rob Font vs. Jose Aldo: Font is a talented striker, meaning he’s going to meet Aldo on the feet, just like Aldo wants it. Font has solid combination striking while Aldo can be a master of counter-striking, picking the right moments to punish his opponent’s aggression. Both fighters have solid ground games, though it seems unlikely the ground comes into play much if at all in this fight. That means either Font’s pressure or Aldo’s counter-attacking will decide the winner. In a five-round fight, Font may just bring too much for Aldo to deal with. Pick: Rob Font via TKO4
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