The UFC returns to the APEX in Las Vegas tomorrow night for UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Vera. There may not be any championships on the line but there are some very interesting stylistic matchups and some very exciting fights on this card.
Two of the top bantamweights in the world will clash for a chance to move up into possible championship contention as they continue to climb the rankings in the division. Plus, a future Hall of Famer will look to add to his incredible resume in a heavyweight bout and two exciting featherweights will look to score a big win.
Featherweight bout: Andre Fili vs. Joanderson Brito
Two exciting feathweights will be meeting in this contest as both will be looking to get back in the win column. Fili has shown that he has some world-class talent but he’s struggled a bit of late, dropping two of his last four, with his most recent fight ending in a no contest. Still, he sports a 21-8 record with nine knockouts so clearly he knows how to put an opponent away.
Across the octagon, Brito had a 10-fight win streak snapped his last time out when he dropped a decision to Bill Algeo in January. At only 27 years old, Brito already has 12 wins under his belt, with five knockouts and five submissions. Obviously, as you can tell from those numbers, he is very well-rounded and can get the job done no matter where this fight takes place. It will be interesting to see if he looks to take Fili to the ground.
Heavyweight bout: Andrei Arlovski vs. Jake Collier
What more is there to say about Andrei Arlovski? This will be his 56th professional fight as he comes into this bout with a 33-20 record. The 43-year-old former heavyweight champion is riding a three-fight winning streak and could find himself in the top 15 in the division with a win here. What seemed impossible just a few years ago, seems like it is on the table now as Arlovski seems poised and ready to make one more championship run.
That will be easier said than done though as he will first need to get past Collier, who is coming off of a submission victory in January. Collier comes in with a 13-6 record with five knockouts and four submissions. Rarely do guys want to get into a standup battle with Arlovski, so Collier could be looking to take this fight to the ground fast. Even if Arlovski can keep his feet under him though, he’ll have his hands full with Collier.
Bantamweight bout: Rob Font vs. Marlon Vera
The UFC’s bantamweight division is perhaps the most stacked in the sport. Aljamain Sterling just proved that he is the true champ here, but there is talent up and down these rankings. And here, we have two of the top eight guys going toe-to-toe for a shot to move into the title picture.
Font has been in the octagon with some of the best ever, including Jose Aldo in his most recent fight. That fight didn’t go how way though and he snapped a four-fight winning streak by dropping a decision. Still, Font is one of the strongest competitors in the division and one of the most technical strikers in the sport. When he puts it all together, Font is nearly impossible to stop.
Coincidentally, Vera also recently dropped a fight against Aldo. Since then though, he has won two in a row, including a brutal front kick knockout of Frankie Edgar in November. Vera is just 29 years old and boasts an 18-7 record with seven knockouts and eight submissions. A confident striker, he likely won’t be desperate to get this fight to the ground, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him adjust his gameplan later in the fight.
UFC Fight Night: Font vs. Vera will be held Saturday, April 20 at 7 PM ET. Fight fans can watch live on ESPN+.