Fight Coverage
Significant Stats | UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo
We Go Inside The Numbers Of Saturday's Las Vegas Event
(All stats according to UFC’s Record Book and Fight Metric as of December 1, 2021, and only include active athletes in their respective division unless noted otherwise)
Main Event: Rob Font vs Jose Aldo
Rob Font
Rob Font Is On The Cusp Of Contention | UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo
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Rob Font Is On The Cusp Of Contention | UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo
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Key Stats: 5 KO/TKO wins (tied-2nd all-time among BW), 5.58 strikes landed per minute (6th all-time among BW), +2.01 striking differential (6th all-time among BW)
Preview Every Fight On UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo
What It Means: Font is a sharp striker, particularly with his hands. His boxing is tight, technical and efficient. Everything stems from his jab, which he can throw from a variety of angles, tempos and setups. He’ll switch stances briefly but returns to orthodox after giving a look. Font also likes to throw low kicks as well as front kicks to the body and head. Once he has his timing and tempo, he can dictate the pace with his jab and often follows with a straight right. He will move to the body with punches during a combo once he feels comfortable as well.
*Jose Aldo
Jose Aldo Reviews His Fight Vs Pedro Munhoz | UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo
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Jose Aldo Reviews His Fight Vs Pedro Munhoz | UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo
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Key Stats: 3.63 strikes landed per minute, 56% takedown accuracy, 61% striking defense
What It Means: Since finding his flow at bantamweight, Aldo has shown a patient and methodical approach to his fights. He is rock-solid defensively, relying on active hands and quickness to prevent his opponents from catching much of a rhythm offensively. Once he does open up, it’s explosive, and he loves to dig to the body with his left hand. While he doesn’t kick as much as he once did, it’s still a great weapon for him. Aldo’s counter striking is sharp as well, punishing opponents when they start to force things offensively. Grappling-wise, he has a good sense of control once he gets the fight to the ground and he takes advantage of any windows to dish out some ground-and-pound.
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What to Look For in the Fight: When Font is at his sharpest, he is managing and controlling the tempo and distance of the fight and prefers to take the center of the Octagon. Where Aldo has been sharp is on the outside, slipping and evading before getting his own game going once his opponent is frustrated. If Font overreaches, Aldo has shown sharp timing to get the fight into a grappling scramble and find some control. Aldo could find success with low kicks if he wants to disrupt Font’s jabbing game. As the fight grows, the mid-fight adjustments are all the more crucial in what should be a technical battle.
Co-Main Event: Brad Riddell vs Rafael Fiziev
Brad Riddell
Key Stats: 4.75 strikes landed per minute, 2 takedowns per 15 minutes, 15:00 average fight time
What It Means: Riddell is a tough, well-rounded fighter with a kickboxing base and a keen sense of how to win each round of a fight. On the feet, he’s a smart and crafty striker and does well to mix his kicks and punches together. He also varies his targets well. Riddell is really sharp at countering shots, getting inside and letting loose a quick and powerful flurry. When he is at distance, he picks his spots and unleashes heavy leg kicks. Riddell is quite resilient, and he grapples calmly when he feels the need to take the fight there.
Rafael Fiziev
Key Stats: 52.5% significant strike accuracy (8th), 5.34 strikes landed per minute (8th), 100% takedown defense
What It Means: Fiziev is a fast and sharp kickboxer with some stunning athletic attributes that, in addition to his technical prowess, make for an intriguing fighter to watch. He likes to kick frequently both to the body and head, and there’s little telegraph on the shots. His hands flow quickly, and he feints well to set all of his shots up. He does well to bring multiple strikes either for long combinations or as throwaways to set up a strike he sits on a bit more.
MORE FIGHT NIGHT: José Aldo's Crowning Moment | Rob Font's Top Finishes | Fighters On The Rise
What to Look For in the Fight: This fight has all the makings of a banger, one of the best matches to make around the cusp of the Top 15 in the lightweight division. Fiziev is the faster and perhaps more powerful of the two, but Riddell has shown the toughness, durability and gas tank that wears on fighters not as adept at a dogfight. Fiziev showed he can go three rounds against Bobby Green, but the pace Riddell sets is a bit higher. Riddell might be inclined to take an occasional shot to break Fiziev’s rhythm, and if that’s the case, how Fiziev’s defensive grappling looks will play a big part.
Other Fights to Watch (Jimmy Crute vs Jamahal Hill)
Jimmy Crute
Key Stats: 5:18 average fight time (3rd shortest), 43.3% control time percentage (1st), 1.42 knockdowns per 15 minutes (4th)
What It Means: Crute is a stout and powerful light heavyweight prospect. His striking is heavy, but not wild. He has a keen sense of when he needs to pressure and when he might need to switch things up and grapple his opponent a bit. He likes to work on the inside, and he has true one-punch knockout power. On the ground, he jumps on submissions rather quickly. In all aspects of fighting, he brings a bulldozing force along with him.
Jamahal Hill
Key Stats: 7.5 strikes landed per minute, 7:23 average fight time, 57% takedown defense
What It Means: Hill is a highly skilled and highly confident fighter, especially on the feet. He has full belief in his power and his ability to create a window to exploit that power. “Sweet Dreams” has a smooth and long jab, and when he strikes at a distance, his opponents have some real problems. He likes to look for the straight left either up top after a jab or to the body. He can switch stances and do damage, but his best shot is the left hand out of his natural southpaw stance. He does have a powerful left high kick as well.
What to Look For in the Fight: Both fighters have dealt with issues stemming from low leg kicks, so whether either fighter approaches with that in mind is something to look for when the fight starts. When they are on the feet, look for Hill to get his distance quickly to land the powerful straight left hand. For Crute, he might have the overall strength and grappling advantage, but his striking is more than good and powerful enough to punish Hill if he is lazy on his entrances and exits from the pocket.
*Hasn’t competed in current division enough to qualify in UFC Record Book
Don't miss any of these fighters on the rise this weekend at UFC Fight Night: Font vs Aldo, live from the UFC APEX on ESPN+. Prelims begin at 7pm ET/4pm PT. Main card begins at 10pm ET/7pm PT.
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