UFC Nashville Results: Cory Sandhagen defeats Rob Font in a one-sided main event
On Saturday evening, the UFC held a Fight Night event from the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. The card was headlined by a 140lbs catchweight bout between bantamweight contenders Cory Sandhagen and Rob Font. Originally, Sandhagen was scheduled to face the undefeated Umar Nurmagomedov on this card, but Nurmagomedov was forced to withdraw from the bout due to a shoulder injury, and Rob Font took his place on short notice, and as a result, the bout became a 140lbs catchweight fight instead of a 135lbs bantamweight bout. Font rebounded from a pair of tough losses to Marlon Vera and Jose Aldo with a first-round knockout victory over Adrian Yanez in April, and he was looking to build on that momentum here with a big win over the fourth-ranked Cory Sandhagen. For Sandhagen, a win over Font would mark his third consecutive win, a streak that could very well put him in line for a title shot, especially if Sean O’Malley unseats Aljamain Sterling (who Sandhagen has a prior loss to) for his UFC Bantamweight Championship in two weeks time. In the co-main event, former UFC Strawweight Champion Jessica Andrade faced the undefeated Tatiana Suarez, in what marked Suarez’s first strawweight bout since 2019.
Jon Anik provided commentary for this card alongside Michael Bisping and Dominick Cruz. Performance of the Night bonuses was awarded to Asu Almabaev, Carlston Harris, Diego Lopes, Dustin Jacoby, and Tatiana Suarez (each fighter who got a finish on the card). The announced attendance for the card was 17,792, with a gate of $2,102,127.12.
QUICK RESULTS:
PRELIMINARY CARD:
- Asu Almabaev def. Ode Osbourne by rear naked choke at 3:11 of Round 2
- Sean Woodson def. Dennis Buzukja by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
- Cody Durden def. Jake Hadley by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
- Billy Quarantillo def. Damon Jackson by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
- Carlston Harris def. Jeremiah Wells by anaconda choke at 1:50 of Round 3
- Kyler Phillips def. Raoni Barcelos by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
MAIN CARD:
- Ludovit Klein def. Ignacio Bahamondes by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
- Tanner Boser def. Aleksa Camur by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
- Diego Lopes def. Gavin Tucker by triangle armbar at 1:38 of Round 1
- Dustin Jacoby def. Kennedy Nzechukwu by TKO at 1:22 of Round 1
- Tatiana Suarez def. Jessica Andrade by guillotine choke at 1:31 of Round 2
- Cory Sandhagen def. Rob Font by unanimous decision (50-45 all)
ODE OSBOURNE (12-5, 1 NC, 125.5) VS ASU ALMABAEV (17-2, 125.5) – FLYWEIGHT
Osbourne threw a pair of kicks to the body to start the fight, and Almabaev responded with a strong straight right hand that found its target. Almabaev opted to change levels and take Osbourne down to the ground, where he began to work from the guard of his opponent. Almabaev landed some solid ground and pound strikes from this position, before eventually passing to side control, where he threw down elbows before attempting a Peruvian Necktie at the end of the round.
Almabaev cracked Osbourne with a head kick at the start of the second round, before shooting for a takedown. While Osbourne defended his initial attempt of the round, Almabaev was eventually successful in taking Osbourne down, where he quickly took the back of his opponent. Almabaev cranked the jaw of Osbourne, and Osbourne eventually tapped.
WINNER: Asu Almabaev by rear naked choke at 3:11 of Round 2
This fight marked Almabaev’s first fight in the UFC, and I thought he made the most of his debut. Almabaev showcased some genuine power and creative striking throughout the short time they spent on the feet, and his grappling overwhelmed Osbourne, allowing him to dominate the fight once he took it to the ground. Almabaev states that he plans to be UFC Flyweight Champion by 2025, and while one fight is not enough to gauge the likelihood of that prediction, he certainly showcased the confidence and potential that you would look for in a future contender.
SEAN WOODSON (9-1-1, 146) VS DENNIS BUZUKJA (11-2, 146.5) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Buzukja missed weight by 0.5lbs and was fined 20% of his purse.
The fighters exchanged leg kicks to begin the fight. Buzukja stepped in and landed a heavy right hand, before pressing Woodson up against the cage as Buzukja began to look for a takedown. Woodson successfully defended the attempt, but it was Buzukja who continued to apply pressure after separating, doing his best to overwhelm Woodson with his powerful right hands. Despite this, Woodson was largely doing a good job of keeping his distance, teeing off on Buzukja’s lead leg with numerous kicks, that were quickly doing significant damage. Woodson started going on the attack in the round’s final minute, mixing up his combinations to the head and body of Buzukja, ending the round strongly. 10-9 Woodson.
Woodson cracked Buzukja with a strong one-two at the start of the second round, which prompted Buzukja to press forward with their right hands as he attempted to return fire. Woodson defended another takedown attempt, before attacking the body with a lengthy combination of strikes. Eventually, it was Woodson who took the fight to the ground, looking for a choke from top position. Woodson could not find the submission but retained top position on the ground until the final seconds of the round, where Buzukja was able to scramble into top position before returning to his feet. 20-18 Woodson.
Woodson’s body shots continued to trouble Buzukja in the third round, allowing him to utilize his grappling after the shots dropped Buzukja’s guard. Buzukja did a good job of defending himself on the ground before returning the fight to the feet. Still, he was having trouble generating offense by this point in the fight, and Woodson would toss Buzukja to the ground whenever Buzukja attempted to clinch him against the cage. The fight went the distance, and I scored it 30-27 in favor of Sean Woodson.
WINNER: Sean Woodson by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
Buzukja took this fight on just three days’ notice, after Woodson’s three original opponents were all pulled from the card for various reasons. Taking the fight on such short notice resulted in Buzukja missing weight, but despite the circumstances, I thought that Buzukja gave a good account of himself with this performance, despite being thoroughly outmatched by Woodson. Woodson controlled the fight on the feet as well as on the ground, and this was certainly a strong outing for him, although there remain holes in his game defensively that some of the higher-ranked featherweights will be able to exploit. Woodson is now 4-1-1 in the UFC following this win, and in his post-fight interview, he expressed his desire to fight with more regularity.
CODY DURDEN (15-4-1, 125.5) VS JAKE HADLEY (10-1, 126) – FLYWEIGHT
Durden came out firing, bringing the fight to Jake Hadley in the first round. A sharp elbow from Durden cut Hadley open above his left eye, and Durden eventually opted to take the fight to the ground, where he began to work from side control. Hadley’s cut was bothering him, as blood was leaking into both of his eyes due to their positioning, and Durden did a good job of keeping Hadley from returning to his feet until the very end of the round. With just thirty seconds remaining, Durden shot for another takedown, but this time, Hadley countered with a guillotine choke attempt. The choke seemed to be locked in, but time expired before Hadley could secure the submission. 10-9 Durden.
Durden took Hadley right back down at the start of the second round. Hadley returned to his feet quickly this time but was caught by another sharp elbow back on the feet. Hadley defended Durden’s next two attempts to take the fight to the ground, and he started to go on the attack, finally generating some offense of his own. Just as it seemed as though Hadley was starting to find his rhythm, he opted to shoot for a takedown, and Durden sprawled successfully, before nearly catching him with a submission of his own. Hadley escaped and took top position on the ground, where he locked in an inverted triangle before he started hunting for an armbar from the back of Durden. Durden was clearly in immense pain, but he opted not to tap, and he escaped the submission before time expired in the round. 19-19.
Durden seemed to be getting the better of Hadley on the feet early in the final round. By the halfway point of the round, it was clear that Hadley was having trouble getting comfortable on the feet, and he opted to take the fight back to the ground, but Durden’s defense remained strong, and he sprawled on Hadley’s takedown attempt, taking top position until he allowed Hadley to return to his feet. Hadley desperately shot for a late takedown, but the attempt was defended once again, and the fight went the distance. 29-28 Durden.
WINNER: Cody Durden by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
Durden took the fight to Hadley from the very start of the bout, and it quickly became apparent that Hadley was a step behind Durden on the feet. The fight largely turned into a grappling match as it progressed, with both fighters coming close to submitting the other on occasion, but Durden was consistently able to take top position, where he did the better job of landing damaging ground and pound strikes to make the most of his control time. After his win, the emotional Durden flipped Hadley off and gave an impassioned post-fight interview, much to the delight of the Nashville crowd who were solidly behind him. Durden now holds a record of 5-2-1 in the UFC, and he has won four consecutive fights.
BILLY QUARANTILLO (17-5, 145) VS DAMON JACKSON (22-5-1, 1 NC, 145.5) – FEATHERWEIGHT
The fighters traded strong right hands throughout the opening minute, with Jackson seemingly landing the heavier shots. Quarantillo was having a lot of trouble getting a read on Jackson’s timing, and Jackson was lighting him up on the feet as the round wore on, doing significant damage whenever he landed in combination. Jackson eventually took the fight to the ground, where he began to work as half guard, before moving to the back of Quarantillo. Quarantillo escaped to his feet before the end of the round, but this was a fairly decisive five minutes for Jackson. 10-9 Jackson.
Jackson continued to push a heavy pace in the second round, but Quarantillo was looking sharper now, as the fighter’s traded shots to the body in the clinch. Quarantillo was able to defend Jackon’s attempts to take the fight to the ground, and he started pressuring forward, attacking the body in combination before going up top to land stronger shots to the head. Just when the momentum in the fight seemed to have shifted in favor of Quarantillo, Jackson changed levels and secured a much-needed takedown, resulting in the next two minutes of the fight largely taking place on the ground, where the fighters repeatedly scrambled into new positions, with neither truly gaining the advantage before the fight returned to the feet. Quarantillo connected with a hard straight right hand just before time expired in the round. 19-19.
Quarantillo applied heavy pressure in the third round, looking to force a finish against his fatigued opponent. Jackson could no longer stand and trade with Quarantillo and was doing his best to change levels to create grappling exchanges. While Jackson was unable to get the fight to the ground, his attempts led to lengthy clinch exchanges, which ate time off the clock for Quarantillo. Still, Quarantillo was able to keep on their feet, and whenever he created separation, he went on the attack, looking to finish the fight. With a minute remaining in the bout, Jackson grabbed a single leg and took the fight to the ground, but Quarantillo was able to escape to his feet, landing one last combination before time expired. 29-28 Quarantillo.
WINNER: Billy Quarantillo by unanimous decision (29-28 all)
Jackson clearly came into this fight to finish the bout quickly, as he fought with an unstainable pace throughout the first round. The strategy nearly paid off, as he had Quarantillo in quite a bit of trouble early, but as the fight wore on, Jackson began to fatigue, and Quarantillo began to take over, attacking the body of Jackson to further drain his gas tank. The crowd was losing their minds throughout this bout, really adding to the atmosphere of this wild fight, and they gave both of these fighters quite the ovation when the final horn sounded. In the end, Quarantillo was able to rebound from that tough first round to take the next two on the scorecards, and his arm was raised as a result, successfully bouncing back from his recent loss to Edson Barboza. Quarantillo’s UFC record improved to 6-3 as a result of this win.
JEREMIAH WELLS (12-2-1, 170.5) VS CARLSTON HARRIS (18-5, 170) – WELTERWEIGHT
A wild combination from Harris missed its target and allowed Wells to take him to the ground in the opening minute of the bout. Wells started hunting for a D’Arce choke, before transitioning to a ninja choke. It looked incredibly tight, but Harris managed to escape the submission, and the fight returned to the feet, where Wells immediately shot for another takedown. While Harris defended Wells’s initial attempt, Wells was eventually successful in taking the fight back to the ground, where he maintained top position until time expired.
Harris seemed to trip to the ground early in the second round, and Wells was able to capitalize, immediately taking top position. While the positioning was not optimal for Wells to threaten submissions or do significant damage with ground and pound strikes, he was able to pepper Harris with right hands, while keeping him seated against the cage for the vast majority of the round. In the round’s final minute, Wells postured up and began to throw down heavy elbows, putting an exclamation mark on a round that he had already secured with ease.
After roughly a minute spent on the feet, Wells changed levels and shot for another takedown. This time, Harris countered with an anaconda choke, and it was locked in tight. Wells attempted to roll out of it, but he was unable to escape, and Harris choked him unconscious.
WINNER: Carlston Harris by anaconda choke at 1:50 of Round 3
Wells was dominating this fight going into the third round, and when he shot for that final takedown, it certainly felt as though we were about to witness another three and a half minutes of control time for Wells, leading to a decisive unanimous decision victory. Instead, Harris was able to counter with an impressive Anaconda choke, and he quickly choked Wells unconscious, making the most of his opportunity. It was a remarkable comeback, and this actually marked the third time throughout Harris’s last six fights that he has managed to finish things with an Anaconda choke. Harris is now 4-1 in the UFC following this win.
KYLER PHILLIPS (10-2, 135) VS RAONI BARCELOS (17-4, 135.5) – BANTAMWEIGHT
Barcelos attempted to take Phillips down following an early leg kick from Phillips but was unable to keep him on the ground, and Phillips quickly popped back to his feet. Phillips caught Barcelos with a head kick, but Barcelos just pushed through and took the fight back to the ground, where Phillips was once again able to quickly escape to his feet. A quick one-two from Phillips dropped Barcelos hard, and while Barcelos recovered quickly, he was having trouble keeping up with Phillips’s speed on the feet. Towards the end of the round, Barcelos started fighting wildly, just pressuring forward with strikes regardless of what Phillips was throwing back at him, and while it was a dangerous strategy, it was leading to offensive success for Barcelos as well. 10-9 Phillips.
Phillips wasted little time in taking the fight to the ground in the second round, securing top position after tripping Barcelos down. Barcelos scrambled back to his feet, where the fight played out for the next several minutes. Phillips had a good read on the timing of Barcelos, and he was doing a good job of landing his strikes while avoiding the heavier ones that Barcelos was throwing his way in return. Eventually, Barcelos opted to take the fight to the ground, and while he was successful, Barcelos was unable to do much with the position, and Phillips quickly escaped to his feet. I thought this was a fairly clear round for Phillips, who was just a step ahead of Barcelos on the feet. 20-18 Phillips.
Barcelos defended a single-leg attempt at the start of the final round. Barcelos was fighting with patience despite likely being down in the fight, and time was starting to run out on him as a result, although he was finding a home for the occasional heavy strike. At one point, Barcelos caught a kick and threw Phillips to the ground, but Phillips was so quick to return to his feet that Barcelos did not even have time to follow him down. I did not think Phillips was active enough offensively throughout this final round, and as a result, I scored it for Barcelos. 29-28 Phillips.
WINNER: Kyler Phillips by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Phillips was the quicker fighter, and his speed and overall movement proved to be too much for Barcelos to overcome throughout the first two rounds. By the final round, Phillips had started to fatigue, and as a result, Barcelos took the round based on overall activity, but Phillips was never in a position of danger, and likely knew that he could coast after winning the first two rounds. It was not a blow away fight in terms of entertainment quality, but Barcelos can be a tricky opponent, and Phillips got his arm raised in the end, improving his overall UFC record to 5-1.
IGNACIO BAHAMONDES (14-4, 156) VS LUDOVIT KLEIN (19-4-1, 156) – LIGHTWEIGHT
A huge left hand from Klein wobbled Bahamondes roughly a minute and a half into the fight, and Klein followed him to the ground. This was beneficial to Bahamondes, who desperately needed the time to recover, but he was losing the round from this position. Klein eventually postured up and began to land some solid ground and pound strikes, cutting Bahamondes open. With a minute remaining in the round, Bahamondes escaped to his feet but was unable to land a fight-changing strike before time expired. 10-9 Klein.
Bahamondes went on the attack to start the second round, catching Klein with a pair of knees up the middle. Klein seemed to be falling behind on the feet, and he opted to take the fight to the ground, with over three minutes to work. Bahamondes quickly escaped and began to pressure forward once more, using his reach advantage to catch Klein first repeatedly, although Klein’s hands continued to land with power as well. Klein took the fight back to the ground with thirty seconds remaining in the round but was unable to do much with it before time expired. 19-19.
Bahamondes shot for a takedown of his own in the opening minute of the final round, which Klein successfully defended. Bahamondes continued to search for a takedown as the round progressed, but Klein’s defense held up well, and Klein kept the fight on its feet as time began to wind down in the fight. Eventually, it was Klein who successfully brought the fight to the ground, and he began to work from the guard of Bahamondes. Bahamondes did his best to create offense off of his back, but the damage from Klein’s ground and pound offense likely outweighed the submission attempts from Bahamondes, and I scored the fight in his favor. 29-28 Klein.
WINNER: Ludovit Klein by unanimous decision (30-27, 29-28, 29-28)
Bahamondes is a skillful striker, but Klein hurt him early, and it took him a while to find his rhythm after giving up in the first round. I thought that Klein did an excellent job of mixing up his striking and his wrestling, keeping Bahamondes from getting comfortable, while dictating where the fight took place throughout the bout’s entirety, which was a difference maker in the third round, where he was able to defend the takedown attempts from Bahamondes before securing his own later in the round. Klein improved to 4-2-1 in the UFC following this win, with three wins throughout his last four fights.
TANNER BOSER (20-10-1, 204.5) VS ALEKSA CAMUR (6-2, 204) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Camur punched his way into the clinch in the fights opening minute, where the fighters wrestled against the cage until Boser separated. Camur was landing some solid combinations on the feet, looking like the sharper fighter early, although Boser was throwing some threatening shots Camur’s way as well. Boser was pulling ahead in terms of general activity as the round wore on, landing several jabs and leg kicks, however, he was not following his jab up with much, resulting in very few big moments for him throughout the round. 10-9 Boser.
Boser tagged Camur with a heavy left hand at the start of the second round, and Boser began to press forward as he attempted to finish the fight. Boser was landing heavy shots, but Camur weathered the storm and started firing back, slowing down Boser’s attack, before Boser brought him into the clinch against the cage. Camur attacked the body of Boser from the clinch, but Boser was going to the head, and Boser was clearly doing significant damage, hurting Camur repeatedly with these flurries. While Camur kept himself in the fight with some short shots in return, this turned into a fairly decisive round for Tanner Boser, who seemed to be hurting Camur with every heavy shot that he landed. 20-18 Boser.
Boser immediately wrapped Camur back up in the clinch at the start of the third round. Camur escaped and attempted to press forward, but Boser caught him with heavy hooks on his way in before re-engaging him in the clinch. Boser continued to do the better work from the clinch while landing the better shots whenever they separated, and while Camur was doing his best to fire back, Boser’s activity was too much for him, and I thought this was another clear round for Boser, who rocked Camur with a heavy combination in the fights final minute. 30-27 Boser.
WINNER: Tanner Boser by unanimous decision (30-27 all)
Camur showcased an impressive chin, and he certainly had no quit in him throughout this one, but the fight was largely dominated by Tanner Boser, who was just far too much for Camur to handle here. Boser’s pressure was suffocating, just constantly backing Camur into the cage where he would land wild hooks before engaging him in the clinch, where Boser’s pressure depleted the gas tank of Camur. Camur was never completely out of the fight, but he was certainly behind throughout it and was never able to create a moment that shook Boser’s confidence. Boser is now 1-1 since moving down to light heavyweight earlier this year.
DIEGO LOPES (21-6, 145.5) VS GAVIN TUCKER (13-2, 145) – FEATHERWEIGHT
Tucker caught Lopes with a kick that landed low in the first real exchange of the fight, sending Lopes to the ground in pain. Lopes took a minute to recover and pressed forward as the action resumed. Tucker took Lopes down, but Lopes threw up a triangle choke from his back. The triangle was in tight, and Lopes quickly switched to the triangle armbar, forcing Tucker to submit.
WINNER: Diego Lopes by triangle armbar at 1:38 of Round 1
Lopes made his UFC debut on very short notice at UFC 288, where he faced one of the promotion’s top featherweights, Movsar Evloev, in a fight that the undefeated Evloev was the overwhelming favorite in. Despite the short notice circumstances, Lopes brought the fight to Evloev for fifteen minutes, troubling him on the feet as well as on the ground, leaving quite the impression despite ultimately losing to the 10th-ranked featherweight contender. Here, we got to see what Lopes had to offer against an unranked opponent, and Lopes just ran through Gavin Tucker, impressively submitting him. Lopes is a talented and exciting fighter, and with twenty finishes throughout his twenty-two professional wins, I can certainly see Lopes becoming a fan-favorite as he ascends the featherweight ladder.
DUSTIN JACOBY (18-7-1, 205) VS KENNEDY NZECHUKWU (12-3, 205) – LIGHT HEAVYWEIGHT
Nzechukwu pressured forward to start the fight but walked right into a huge right hand from Jacoby that dropped him hard. Jacoby followed him to the ground and threw down hammer fists until the fight was stopped.
WINNER: Dustin Jacoby by TKO at 1:22 of Round 1
Nzechukwu came into this fight riding a three-fight win streak of finishes, and he seemed to be looking for another one here from the pressure he was applying early, but Jacoby is a dangerous striker, and he caught Nzechukwu on his way in, recording a quick finish of his own. After two consecutive losses, this was a much-needed win for Jacoby to defend his 15th ranked spot in the rankings, and after his quick win, he made it clear that the next time he steps into the octagon, he would like to fight up in the rankings. He specifically named Volkan Oezdemir among his potential next fights for him, which is something that I could see happening if Oezdemir loses his upcoming fight to Azamat Murzakanov, who defeated Jacoby in April.
JESSICA ANDRADE (24-11, 115.5) VS TATIANA SUAREZ (9-0, 115.5) – STRAWWEIGHT
Andrade was not fighting with her typical level of aggression, showing respect for the grappling ability of Suarez. Andrade attacked the lead leg of Suarez, but eventually overcommitted to a heavy hook, and was taken down as a result. Andrade worked her way back to her feet but ate several knees to the body in the process. Andrade flurried forward with a combination of strikes towards the end of the round, but I did not think she landed enough to steal back the round.
Suarez took Andrade back to the ground just seconds into round two. Much like her previous fight, Suarez quickly locked in a guillotine choke, forcing Andrade to submit.
WINNER: Tatiana Suarez by guillotine choke at 1:31 of Round 2
Suarez returned to the octagon after a lengthy absence earlier this year, where she defeated Montana De La Rosa with a guillotine choke in the second round after a somewhat competitive round one. This fight played out exactly like the De La Rosa fight, complete with the impressive second-round guillotine, handing the former UFC Strawweight Champion her third consecutive loss. To Andrade’s credit, two of those three losses have come on short notice, including this one, but it is starting to feel like her window as a legitimate title contender is starting to close. For Suarez however, this was her biggest win to date, and it feels as though her time to compete for the UFC Strawweight Championship has finally come. In two weeks’ time, Zhang Weili will defend her title against Amanda Lemos, and I have to imagine whoever emerges from that fight victorious, will be defending their championship against Suarez next.
CORY SANDHAGEN (16-4, 139.5) VS ROB FONT (20-6, 139) – CATCHWEIGHT
Sandhagen took Font down seconds into the fight, but Font countered with a guillotine attempt before scrambling to his feet. A right hand from Font caught Sandhagen on his way in, and Sandhagen opted to take Font down yet again, eventually settling in Font’s guard. Once again, Font was able to return to his feet without taking much damage. Font caught a kick from Sandhagen before completing a takedown of his own, ending a competitive first round in top position. 10-9 Sandhagen.
Sandhagen quickly brought Font back to the ground with a single leg. Sandhagen partially passed Font’s guard, where he was able to land some heavy ground and pound strikes, but Font was largely able to keep Sandhagen from doing significant damage or threatening any submissions. Still, Sandhagen controlled the entirety of the round from top position, and while it was not the most entertaining round, it was a clear one for Sandhagen. 20-18 Sandhagen.
Much like the previous two rounds, Sandhagen was easily able to take Font to the ground in the third round. Sandhagen smothered Font from top position, and Font did not seem to have any answers for Sandhagen by this point in the fight, unsuccessfully attempting to scramble to his feet, repeatedly. The crowd voiced their displeasure at the quality of the bout, but it was an effective gameplan from Sandhagen, who had recognized Font’s inability to stop his takedowns. 30-27 Sandhagen.
Shockingly, Sandhagen wasted little time in taking Font back to the ground. While Font’s takedown defense throughout this fight had been abysmal, he continued to do an excellent job of keeping Sandhagen from doing significant damage or threatening submissions. With that being said, his inability to stop a takedown was keeping Font from generating any offense. Michael Bisping openly called the fight miserable at this point in the fight, and it was hard to disagree with the man. 40-36 Sandhagen.
Font shot for a takedown of his own at the start of the fifth round, which was humorous. Sandhagen defended the attempt, and easily secured his seventh takedown of the fight just moments later. Sandhagen started hunting for a D’Arce choke, notably marking the first submission attempt of the fight, but Font was able to fend Sandhagen off. Eventually, the horn mercifully sounded, and this fight reached its conclusion. 50-45 Sandhagen.
WINNER: Cory Sandhagen by unanimous decision (50-45 all)
The crowd utterly despised this fight, which is certainly unusual for a bout involving either of these fighters. Just seconds into the fight, Sandhagen realized that Font was completely unable to stop his takedowns, and from that point onward, Sandhagen took Font to the ground at will. Font did a fine job of defending himself on the ground but was unable to return to his feet or generate offense off of his back, which led to a very dull twenty-five minutes of Sandhagen taking Font to the ground before doing very little from top position. Sandhagen should not be faulted for the entertainment quality of the fight at all, as it was a dominant performance on his behalf despite a possible triceps injury early in the fight, but I thought this was a tough outing from Font, who in all fairness, did take this fight on rather short notice. After Sandhagen’s win, he apologized to the live crowd for the quality of the fight but made it clear that he is looking for a title shot after this big win, stating that he will be in Boston in two weeks to watch the upcoming title fight between UFC Bantamweight Champion Aljamain Sterling and Sean O’Malley.
