Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips Odds
Check out the Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips odds for UFC Vegas 99 on Saturday, October 19, with my expert UFC pick and prediction.
Tonight's UFC Vegas 99 co-main event in Las Vegas features a potential crossroads fight between ranked bantamweights Rob Font and Kyler Phillips.
A longtime mainstay at 135 pounds, Font has been earning his keep under the UFC's roster for just over a decade.
The top-10 UFC bantamweight currently finds himself on a two-fight skid, so Font will be more than motivated to hold the proverbial door this weekend.
That said, the UFC is continuing not to take it easy on Font considering matchmakers have paired him up against a rising talent like Kyler Phillips, who has quietly gathered momentum since his lone UFC loss to Raulian Paiva.
Let's dig in with my Phillips vs. Font preview and breakdown.
Dan Tom's Tale of the Tape
| Font | Phillips | |
|---|---|---|
| Record | 20-8 | 12-2 |
| Avg. Fight Time | 12:50 | 11:40 |
| Height | 5'8" | 5'8" |
| Weight (pounds) | 135.5 lbs. | 135.5 lbs. |
| Reach (inches) | 71" | 72" |
| Stance | Orthodox | Orthodox |
| Date of birth | 6/25/1987 | 6/12/1995 |
| Sig Strikes Per Min | 5.5 | 5.7 |
| SS Accuracy | 45% | 45% |
| SS Absorbed Per Min | 3.65 | 3.38 |
| SS Defense | 56% | 61% |
| Take Down Avg | 0.89 | 2.41 |
| TD Acc | 35% | 46% |
| TD Def | 46% | 75% |
| Submission Avg | 0.3 | 0.5 |
Both men are durable offensive-output machines who make their money in slightly different ways.
Font has made steady improvements to his grappling and wrestling under the care of Tyson Chartier and company, but the 37-year-old veteran primarily gets his work done on the feet.
One of the better jabbers in the division, Font works behind his huge hands that not-so-coincidentally carry huge power. From checking shots on the counter to knee change-ups on the fly, he is a fairly flexible striker when feeling in stride.
Still, I suspect that the dynamism and variety will be on the side of Phillips in this fight.
Although Phillips does not appear to be as powerful as a striker as Font, the 29-year-old contender flows like a true artist on the feet.
Whether Phillips is committing to jabs down the center or is counterbalancing kicks and knees with straight punches, the MMA Lab product picks his spots nicely while staying active with his footwork and movement. He is also good about changing things up by throwing takedowns into the mix, which probably would serve the Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt well given his grappling superiority, at least on paper.
Again, Font – who is a Brazilian jiu-jitsu brown belt – has made improvements to his wrestling and is not beyond looking for a takedown of his own, so I suggest leaving some room to be surprised on Saturday night.
Font vs. Phillips Pick & Prediction
The oddsmakers and the public are siding with the younger fighter, listing Phillips -460 and Font +320 as of this writing.
The price on the favorite side has practically doubled since the line opened due to the action coming in on Phillips – and I get it.
Aside from the red flag which is Font's age for the weight class (something that MMA gamblers regularly get tumescent over), I'm afraid that the book on the New England Cartel product is both written and widely available at this point of his career.
Unless you are a skilled counterstriker who works the body, you are probably best off playing all the way in or all the way out with Font due to his boxing prowess.
And if you're a solid wrestler or submission grappler, then your chances of ending up on top in grappling exchanges are fairly high.
So, between that stylistic dynamic and the fact that this fight is only scheduled for three rounds, I'll be picking Phillips despite his suspect gas tank.
If you're cheap like me and don't want to eat the inflation on the Phillips side, then I suggest shopping the total departments for the "Over 2.5 rounds" option.
Not only are both fighters incredibly durable, but the over is roughly half the price of Phillips' moneyline.
Akin to my approach that cashed last week, I'll be pairing the over with a favorite I like on the UFC Vegas 99 prelims (Jean Matsumoto) for a small plus-money parlay.
Dan's Pick: Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips Over 2.5 rounds (-240 at Ceasars)
