Vera rocks Font, wins decision in UFC main event
Marlon Vera had a chance to prove he's one of the best bantamweights in the world against Rob Font on Saturday.
And he did exactly that.
Vera defeated Font via unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46, 49-46) in the UFC Fight Night main event in Las Vegas.
"When you work hard, you have the most chances to survive (in the cage)," Vera said in his postfight interview. "When you do everything to win, when you put everything aside, life gives you a good victory."
The entertaining matchup - which served as Vera's first UFC headlining opportunity - was a battle between Font's volume and Vera's damage. Vera had the bigger, more impactful moments, scoring three knockdowns across 25 minutes. Impact is most important when it comes to MMA scoring, hence why he earned the judges' nod.
"Chito" overcame his opponent's hot start in the opening round. Font immediately found success with his jab, his striking was a lot crisper than Vera's, and he had a much higher output.
Font continued to have success on the feet in Round 2. But that's when Vera started to do damage and steal rounds. Vera dropped Font late in that frame and followed up with ground-and-pound shots.
However, Font recovered in time for the third and looked surprisingly good, peppering Vera with punches. But Vera knocked him down again with a knee late in the stanza.
Vera sealed the deal in the championship rounds. He was closer to matching Font's output than he was in the earlier rounds and continued to hurt the Massachusetts native with hard shots.
Font's 271 significant strikes are the third-most ever landed in a UFC bout. Vera, who landed 159, produced the largest negative differential for a winning fighter.
Vera, who is from Ecuador but has trained in California for years, will likely move into the top five at bantamweight after securing the biggest win of his career. He said he wants another step up in competition and vowed to win the UFC title.
"I'm going to be a world champion," Vera said. "I'm bringing the belt to Ecuador. Believe that."
Vera has won three in a row, including a highlight-reel knockout over Frankie Edgar last November.
Meanwhile, Font is riding the first losing streak of his career, having dropped a decision to MMA great Jose Aldo in December. He was ranked No. 5 in the division going into Saturday, while Vera was No. 8.
Font missed weight for the fight against Vera, coming in Friday morning at 138.5 pounds, two-and-a-half pounds over the bantamweight limit for non-title affairs.