UFC Fight Night 259: Rob Font vs David Martinez Preview & Prediction
Click here for today’s sports betting tips from our expert analysts!
Following Raul Rosas Jr.'s withdrawal, David Martinez steps into the biggest fight of his career on short notice against bantamweight mainstay, Rob Font.
Rob Font vs David Martinez facts
What time are Rob Font and David Martinez expected to walk out?
Where is UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva? Frost Bank Center, San Antonio, USA
Where can I get tickets for UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva? Click here for the latest ticket information for UFC Fight Night 259
What TV channel is UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva on? UK – TNT Sports / USA – ESPN+
Where can I stream UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva? UK – TNT Sports subscribers can stream the event online via the TNT Sports website and discovery+ / USA – ESPN+ & UFC Fight Pass
UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva main card
Diego Lopes vs Jean Silva (Featherweight)
Rob Font vs David Martinez (Bantamweight)
Rafa Garcia vs Jared Gordon (Lightweight)
Kelvin Gastelum vs Dustin Stoltzfus (Middleweight)
Santiago Luna vs Quang Le (Bantamweight)
UFC Fight Night 259: Lopes vs Silva prelims
Alexander Hernandez vs Carlos Diego Ferreira (Lightweight)
Jose Daniel Medina vs Dusko Todorovic (Middleweight)
Claudio Puelles vs Joaquim Silva (Lightweight)
Tatiana Suarez vs Amanda Lemos (Women’s Strawweight)
Jesus Santos Aguilar vs Luis Gurule (Flyweight)
Zachary Reese vs Sedriques Dumas (Middleweight)
Alessandro Costa vs Alden Coria (Flyweight)
Montserrat Rendon vs Alice Pereira (Women’s Bantamweight)
Rodrigo Sezinando vs Daniil Donchenko (Welterweight)
Rob Font: The New England Cartel veteran looks to turn away the latest young prospect put in front of him
A staple of the UFC's bantamweight division for more than a decade, Rob Font (22-8) is one of the most experienced names operating within the lower weight classes. The American has fought a murderer's row of competition at 135 pounds, facing the likes of Cory Sandhagen, Jose Aldo, and Deiveson Figueiredo to name but a few throughout his UFC tenure. A slick boxer with superb footwork, Font's limited power means that he's had rough fights against dangerous strikers before, but it hasn't stopped him from turning back hyped up and comers on multiple occasions. One of the American's finest performances was his destruction of Adrian Yanez with punches at UFC 287, while his most recent appearance saw him defeat the highly touted Jean Matsumoto by hard fought decision.
David Martinez: "Black Spartan" enters the biggest fight of his career off the back of a brutal debut KO
A qualified doctor who just so happens to also be an all-action MMA prospect, David Martinez (12-1) announced himself in the UFC's bantamweight division with a ferocious KO over Saimon Oliveira in his Performance of the Night winning debut in March. With ten KOs in twelve professional wins, the DWCS graduate is a lightning fast striker who throws every shot with mean intentions, but there's a cerebral method to his madness. Martinez demonstrates superb fight IQ, complementing his considerable amount of finishing potential. "Black Spartan" finds himself in the biggest spot of his career against his most experienced foe to date, stepping in on short notice after Raul Rosas Jr. was forced out.
Rob Font vs David Martinez prediction
Martinez is an extremely crisp and dangerous striker, one who methodically chases the kill shot from the first bell in every single fight. It's easy to get excited about "Black Spartan's" 12-1 record and penchant for brutal KOs here, but make no mistake; Font is likely to show levels in this one.
This is a gargantuan step up in competition, and destroying a fighter of Saimon Oliveira's quality isn't enough to convince me that Martinez has what it takes to get through one of the most experienced faces that the bantamweight division has to offer. Font has fought - and even beaten - considerably better fighters than Martinez throughout the vast majority of his storied UFC career. Moreover, he's halted prospects with much more hype behind them than his current dance partner, playing spoiler against the likes of Yanez and Matsumoto.
As such, unless this proves to be the point at which Father Time irrevocably catches up and the wheels completely fall off, Font's technical finesse and wealth of experience means that he remains the safe pick here by a considerable distance. Martinez's power and aggression might see the Mexican fighter take the first round, but look for Font's veteran craft to take over late on. The American endures a few hairy moments to earn the unanimous decision.
Prediction: Rob Font to win by decision
