UFC Fight Night ‘Sandhagen Vs. Font’ + Weekly MMA Report
UFC 291 was by far the greatest card of the year. There were so many high-level stoppages and finishes. Only two bouts went the distance, which is very rarely seen in the world of modern mixed martial arts. Let’s take a look at the reward winners.
UFC 291 Awards
The Fight of the Night Award was not given at UFC 291. Instead, the UFC head honcho rewarded four fighters with the Performance of the Night award.
The first one went into the hands of Justin Gaethje, who turned the lights out on Dustin Poirier via a stunning round 2 head kick to win the BMF belt. Derrick Lewis saved his career via a first-round finish against Marcos Rogerio de Lima, and it seems Dana White was pretty much impressed by his strikes.
Octagon-side for THE knockout of the night from @Justin_Gaethje 🔥 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/8NJBHH16Y4
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
DERRICK LEWIS IN THIRY SECONDS!!@THEBEAST_UFC IS BACK #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/N2idh4Hw7Z
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
Bobby Green took part in a technical warfare against Tony Ferguson but finished the former title challenger with an arm-triangle choke just a few seconds before the final bell. Kevin Holland put on a show with a submission victory against BJJ expert Michael Chiesa.
BOBBY GREEN SUBMITS TONY FERGUSON! @BobbyKGreen gets the finish with seconds left at #UFC291! pic.twitter.com/HuRLRFYIRH
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
KEVIN HOLLAND BY SUBMISSION 😨@Trailblaze2top submits Chiesa in Round 1! #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/5x3pJL3uOT
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
Fans believe that UFC could have given a Performance of the Night award to Roman Kopylov, who put Claudio Ribeiro to sleep via a vicious head kick too.
This head kick is CRAZY 😱 #UFC291 pic.twitter.com/a1xplKD0xi
— UFC (@ufc) July 30, 2023
UFC Fight Night ‘Sandhangen Vs Font’ Announcement
After a lovely event in Salt Lake City, the UFC travels to Nashville, Tennessee, where it will host another fight night event.
This time, the two very technical warriors will take part in the main event of the evening. Knee expert Cory Sanghagen will try to outwork the jab specialist Rob Font.
Image source: @UFCEurope Twitter
Cory Sandhangen is known for amazing angle changes and Muay Thai strikes. His KO win over Frankie Edgar is one of the best knee counters in the history of this sport. “The Sandman” is a very experienced fighter with many wars behind his belt, and he is used to five-round wars. If the fight goes into championship rounds, he’s not gonna gas.
Rob Font is one of the most technical boxers the UFC has ever seen. This is a catchweight combat (140 pounds), so it could be beneficial for Font, as it will affect his cardio levels. Font holds notable victories over Adrian Yanez, Marlon Moraes, and Ricky Simon, he fought many stars… but Sandhagen is simply too experienced for him.
Prediction: Sandhagen to win
The co-main event is a mismatch, as an undefeated wrestling specialist Tatiana Suarez squares off against the former UFC strawweight champion Jessica Andrade.
Suarez is known for vicious takedowns, top control, and superb chain wrestling – it is very hard to defend her takedown attempts, especially if she presses you against the fence. She is also known for excellent counterpunches.
Jessica Andrade used to be the most powerful chick at 115. Her slam knockout over Rose Namajunas is one of the most brutal finishes in the history of the promotion. Yet, Tatiana Suarez isn’t a BJJ fighter – if she gets on top of Andrade, it’s over.
Prediction: Suarez to win
UFC Fight Night ‘Sandhagen Vs Font’ Full Fight Card
Please take a look at the UFC fight night full fight card below – there are a few eye-catching names.
Main Card (UFC On Fight Pass, ESPN/ESPN+, 9 PM ET, 2 AM UK time)
Catchweight: Cory Sandhagen 16-4-0 vs. Rob Font 20-6-0
Strawweight: Jéssica Andrade (24-11-0) vs. Tatiana Suarez (9-0-0)
Light Heavyweight: Dustin Jacoby (18-7-1) vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu (12-3-0)
Featherweight: Gavin Tucker (13-2-0) vs. Diego Lopes (21-6-0)
Light Heavyweight: Tanner Boser (20-10-1) vs. Aleksa Camur (6-2-0)
Preliminary Card (UFC On Fight Pass, ESPN/ESPN+, 6 PM ET, 11 PM UK time)
Lightweight: Ignacio Bahamondes (14-4-0) vs. Ľudovít Klein (19-4-1)
Bantamweight: Raoni Barcelos (17-4-0) vs. Kyler Phillips (10-2-0)
Welterweight: Jeremiah Wells (12-2-1) vs. Carlston Harris (18-5-0)
Featherweight: Billy Quarantillo (17-5-0) vs. Damon Jackson (22-5-1)
Flyweight: Jake Hadley (10-1-0) vs. Cody Durden (15-4-1)
Flyweight: Ode Osbourne (12-5-0) vs. Asu Almabaev (17-2-0)
UFC Fight Night ‘Sandhagen Vs Font’ Predictions
You can see my predictions in the playlist below.
This fight card doesn’t look too great, you can only see stars in the main and co-main event of the evening. Yet, I always say, never judge the book by its cover. Many fighters would like to prove themselves to Dana White, so you should definitely take a look at this event on Saturday!
