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UFC Fight Night: Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font takes place this Saturday in Nashville, TN. And, despite being up against Nate Diaz vs. Jake Paul, the UFC has brought the goods with a pretty decent UFC fight night card. The headliner is a guaranteed bantamweight banger that might reveal the next contender in the division. The co-main is an intriguing potential changing of the guard with former champ and perennial contender Jessica Andrade fighting Tatiana Suarez (everyone’s best bet for future champ).
There’s a few more good fights on the card, too: Raoni Barceos vs. Kyler Phillips, Billy Quarantillo vs. Damon Jackson, Ignacio Bahamnondes vs. L’udovit Klein – what’s not to like?
As always, we at BE have poured over the records, the stats, the tape and picked who we think will win each of these fights.
And as you can see we are all backing The Sandman to erase Font from bantamweight title contention. In the co-main, most of us believe in Suarez to get the job done and leave Andrade in a bit of a pickle as to where she goes next.
Keep scrolling for the rest of our UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font picks. And tell us yours in the comment section below!
UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font picks
Cory Sandhagen vs. Rob Font
Anton: This will end up mostly on the feet, so I’m curious to see how the boxing portion will look here. I think that would probably edged by Font, but Sandhagen should have a more diverse arsenal and I want to see how he would adjust to that. I think this will be close and competitive main event for this UFC Night night, but I’m going with Sandhagen by late TKO.
Dayne: Given the way Font mowed down Adrian Yanez, it feels like he’s getting the short end of the stick. Font is as durable as they come – he’s never been finished via strikes – and has the power to put anyone away. It isn’t like Sandhagen is a defensive savant either. It’s hard to believe Font won’t connect cleanly with Sandhagen’s chin at some point given he’ll have five rounds to find the finish. And yet, he’s an overwhelming underdog on this UFC Fight Night card.
Looking all that over, the first thing that should be asked is why Font is the underdog. Well, Sandhagen has consistently fought the best in the division and only lost to those who have held divisional gold. Even when he loses, sans the Aljamain Sterling fight, it’s been incredibly close. Font’s two losses heading into the Yanez fight were one-sided. Most troubling about those losses were the amount of times Font hit the canvas, indicating his chin is reaching its breaking point. At 36, it shouldn’t be much of a surprise.
What gives Font hope is Sandhagen isn’t a notable power puncher and Font is likely the more technical boxer. That said, he can’t hope to match the dynamism of Sandhagen in the striking department. Font struggled with those aspects of Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera. That isn’t even mentioning the grappling side of things, another area where Sandhagen feels like the superior fighter. Font has more than a puncher’s chance and this is a quality main event. That said, I’m sticking with the consensus that Sandhagen will emerge the better man. Sandhagen via decision
Chris: I love the way Font has come back from the roughest skid of his career. Missing weigh and enduring two powerful strikers had me thinking that the Yanez fight was going to be the final nail in the coffin. But he looked like a million bucks in his last fight and the coin says “bet the house.”
Tim: Sandhagen exists, alone, in this liminal space between the champion and his contenders and everyone else in the division. Each time it feels like Sandhagen is going to escape that forbidden zone he gets blocked off from the exit. This is actually the perfect fight to get over the hump. A win here probably makes him the next man up (unless Sterling vs. O’Malley produces an immediate rematch, which feels somewhat likely). That’s as true against Font as it was against Nurmagomedov. However, Font feels like a much more winnable fight for Sandhagen than what Nurmagomedov would have presented. So Sandhagen might get his escape route here without having to get through the toughest opponent possible.
Font has great boxing, but Sandhagen has shown he can negotiate around dangerous strikers and tag them with his own nasty arsenal. I don’t think Sandhagen gets the finish here, but I see him stating his case for a title shot with a controlled and versatile performance over his late replacement opponent in this UFC fight night main event. Cory Sandhagen via decision
Victor: I hate picking against Font, and yet I have to. Cory’s reach and volume might prove to be too much and this will largely be contested on the feet. I’m also lamenting that this fight isn’t taking place in the New England area, this would have been a great opportunity for that crowd. But yeah, I got the skinny tall guy. Cory Sandhagen by decision.
Zane: Both men are tough as nails and both work at a high-level volume rate, so this should be a real nip-tuck war for 5 rounds. That said, Sandhagen is the more creative, surprising force in the cage and Font has a real problem with approaching opponents on straight lines with repeated setups. Even against Yanez it got him caught a lot entering the pocket. Feels like a fight where Sandhagen can keep landing the bigger strikes from distance before Font makes it a fire fight inside. Cory Sandhagen by decision.
Staff picking Sandhagen: Jack, Lucas, Chris, Dayne, Eddie, Tim, Kristen, Victor, Zane, Stephie, Anton
Staff picking Font:
Jéssica Andrade vs. Tatiana Suarez
Dayne: Even as I’m picking against Andrade, I don’t think this is an indication she is a shot fighter. Yes, her style opens her up to receiving a lot of damage, rendering her still relatively youthful age of 31 a moot point. Yes, she’s on a two fight losing streak. However, prior to those losses, Andrade was arguably on the most dominant streak of her career. She ran into a bad stylistic match-up in Blanchfield and her reckless style means she’s going to get blasted from time to time rather than being the blaster. It happened against Zhang Weili. It happened most recently against Xiaonan Yan.
Now, she’s getting another stylistic nightmare in Suarez. Suarez looked good, but not great in her return against Montana de la Rosa. Given it was her first fight in nearly four years, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Now that she’s gotten her feet wet and facing a smaller opponent, she should return to her bullying ways even more forcefully. As for Andrade, remember how Valentina Shevchenko took her down time and again at will? I have no reason to believe Suarez won’t do the same. Suarez isn’t as big as Shevchenko, but she is the more technical wrestler. Andrade looked broken mentally by Shevchenko. I think Suarez can do the same. Suarez via submission of RD3
Chris: Jessica Andrade’s career is following a painfully familiar combat sports trajectory. She’s been to the mountaintop, she’s won a title, and now that her name puts butts in the seats she’s finally secured a better contract. Unfortunately the years and miles are catching up, and Suarez is looking to make her comeback complete. Also the coin flip says Tatiana.
Tim: The co-main event at UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font is pretty interesting with a classic old guard vs. rising talent match-up. Last year I would have said “You never know what Jessica Andrade” you’re going to get, referring to her ability to be either dogged and powerful or painfully haphazard. After losses to Erin Blanchfield and Yan Xiaonan, it feels like her poor fight IQ has won the race against her strength and athleticism, making her pretty easy to figure out for anyone but the dregs of her division/s. This fight feels dangerously obvious to call, Suarez will take Andrade down, bait her, climb on her back and lock up a choke. Tatiana Suarez via submission
Victor: Tatiana’s kinda big, and I’m worried what Andrade’s gonna look like seeing as she’s had a really rough few fights recently. The decline appears to be very real. Suarez has her wrestling and will test Andrade’s conditioning. I want Jessica to win, but I won’t favor her here. Tatiana Suarez by decision.
Now, she’s getting another stylistic nightmare in Suarez. Suarez looked good, but not great in her return against Montana de la Rosa. Given it was her first fight in nearly four years, it shouldn’t come as a surprise. Now that she’s gotten her feet wet and facing a smaller opponent, she should return to her bullying ways even more forcefully. As for Andrade, remember how Valentina Shevchenko took her down time and again at will? I have no reason to believe Suarez won’t do the same. Suarez isn’t as big as Shevchenko, but she is the more technical wrestler. Andrade looked broken mentally by Shevchenko. I think Suarez can do the same. Suarez via submission of RD3
Chris: Jessica Andrade’s career is following a painfully familiar combat sports trajectory. She’s been to the mountaintop, she’s won a title, and now that her name puts butts in the seats she’s finally secured a better contract. Unfortunately the years and miles are catching up, and Suarez is looking to make her comeback complete. Also the coin flip says Tatiana.
Tim: Last year I would have said “You never know what Jessica Andrade” you’re going to get, referring to her ability to be either dogged and powerful or painfully haphazard. After losses to Erin Blanchfield and Yan Xiaonan, it feels like her poor fight IQ has won the race against her strength and athleticism, making her pretty easy to figure out for anyone but the dregs of her division/s. This fight feels dangerously obvious to call, Suarez will take Andrade down, bait her, climb on her back and lock up a choke. Tatiana Suarez via submission
Victor: Tatiana’s kinda big, and I’m worried what Andrade’s gonna look like seeing as she’s had a really rough few fights recently. The decline appears to be very real. Suarez has her wrestling and will test Andrade’s conditioning. I want Jessica to win, but I won’t favor her here. Tatiana Suarez by decision.
Zane: I don’t like anything about the idea of Boser at light heavyweight. I didn’t like it when I picked him to beat Cutelaba and I especially don’t like it now. I just don’t think he has the technique to compete here without the speed advantage he had at heavyweight. Camur’s game is pretty shallow, but he’s durable and he’s got decent form. Aleksa Camur via TKO.
Staff picking Boser: Chris, Dayne, Eddie, Tim, Kristen, Victor, Stephie, Anton
Staff picking Camur: Jack, Lucas, Zane
Dustin Jacoby vs. Kennedy Nzechukwu
Dayne: This feels like a crossroads fight. Nzechukwu is clearly on an upward trajectory while Jacoby is on the way down. It wasn’t that long ago Jacoby was at his peak, so it isn’t hard to see Jacoby pulling this one out. After all, it’s hard to find a more technical striker within the division. With his expert use of his length, Jacoby has been a problem for a huge chunk of the light heavyweight division. Of course, he has also been either the bigger fighter or the more athletic fighter in his seven-fight undefeated streak. He’s neither against Nzechukwu.
Nzechukwu is growing more comfortable all the time with his chosen profession. For a long stretch, it looked like he was only in the fight game as he had the natural talent for it, just not the feel. Well, he’s developing a feel now. I do worry about Nzechukwu’s chin getting cracked as he tends to get rocked far more than he should. Despite that, his confidence is soaring and combine that with his youth, I’ll say he finds a finish, especially given Jacoby was hurt several times in his most recent showing. Nzechukwu via TKO of RD2
Tim: I still kinda believe in Dustin Jacoby and I still kinda have questions about Kennedy Nzechukwu. However, what’s undeniable is how the sheer size advantage Nzechukwu will be working with here. That plus his strength advantage, and his aggression, mean Jacoby is going to have to be very quick and very clean to catch Nzechukwu coming in, or else he’s going to be pounded out on the ground. Given his last two appearances, I don’t think Jacoby can be perfect enough to avoid that. Kennedy Nzechukwu via TKO
Victor: I just never really trusted Kennedy because he’s clunky and makes some iffy decisions from moment to moment. But I’m done doubting him. He’s for real, he’s got a more cohesive game together, and he’s a strong dude that uses his size well sometimes. Dustin’s kickboxing experience helps him, but he’s not elite in that department, either. Jollof hours incoming. Kennedy Nzechukwu by TKO, round 2.
Zane: I’m probably going to look foolish here, but I’m a little surprised to see everyone picking Nzechukwu to win by TKO. If nothing else, Dustin Jacoby is insanely tough. He may have been TKO’d ages ago by King Mo back in Bellator, and stopped in kickboxing by Alex Pereira, but he’s looked nothing but insanely durable in the Octagon.
Add to it that Nzechukwu is a terribly slow starter who depends on opponents melting down before he can really turn up the fight and start winning and, I just don’t think this fight is all that well made for Nzechukwu to get the finish. Or, for that matter, even win. Maybe he just takes Jacoby down and pounds on him, but my guess is this is an incredibly scrappy battle where Jacoby survives Nzechukwu’s bursts of heavy offense to stay patient and do the more consistent, technical work. Dustin Jacoby by decision.
Staff picking Jacoby: Jack, Chris, Zane
Staff picking Nzechukwu: Lucas, Dayne, Eddie, Kristen, Tim, Victor, Stephie, Anton
Gavin Tucker vs. Diego Lopes
Dayne: Tucker hasn’t been seen since March 2021. When we saw him, he was getting blasted by Dan Ige in a matter of seconds. Now, the native of Canada is 37, downright ancient in the bantamweight division. I can’t feel confident in picking him. And yet, I strongly considered going in his direction. Lopes will need to get the fight to the mat to have a definitive advantage in this fight.
The problem is, I’m not confident he can. Sure, he spent plenty of time on the mat with Movsar Evloev, but that’s because Evloev trusted in his own abilities on the mat. Tucker isn’t likely to give him that opportunity. Regardless, Lopes was competitive enough on the feet in fights with Evloev and Joanderson Brito that I stand by my pick of the Brazilian. Plus, I have a hard time believing the fight doesn’t hit the mat at some point. Lopes via submission of RD2
Tim: This feels like one of those last fights on the contract kind of deals for Tucker. He’s 37 now and has not been active in the last few years. Lopes is much bigger and longer and his grappling should cause the Canadian brawler all kinds of trouble. Diego Lopes via submission
Victor: I think we might have seen Lopes’ ceiling, guys. I don’t trust him to take out an older, savvier vet here. Gavin Tucker by TKO.
Zane: I feel almost dead certain that Gavin Tucker is going to take Lopes down. Whether he can ride him there for three rounds without getting submitted? That’ll be the trick. Diego Lopes by submission.
Staff picking Tucker: Jack, Chris, Victor
Staff picking Lopes: Lucas, Dayne, Eddie, Tim, Kristen, Zane, Stephie, Anton
Tanner Boser vs. Aleksa Camur
Dayne: This contest is a mess. I hate Boser’s move down to 205 since he loses the speed and athletic advantages that he had in many cases at heavyweight. He isn’t undersized anymore, but his style doesn’t require him to be the bigger man. And yet, I find myself picking him. Camur is incredibly stiff and while there’s the possibility he has improved in his long layoff, I’m also aware he spent a long chunk of time rehab from injuries/surgery. His stiff movement doesn’t make me feel confident he can catch the mobile Boser enough to outpoint him. Boser via decision
Victor: Camur looks like a better athlete than he is in some ways. Boser has gaps in his game and probably should have stayed at heavyweight, but it’s not like this division is that much more talented in the mid-ranks. Meh, whatever. Tanner Boser by decision.
Zane: I don’t like anything about the idea of Boser at light heavyweight. I didn’t like it when I picked him to beat Cutelaba and I especially don’t like it now. I just don’t think he has the technique to compete here without the speed advantage he had at heavyweight. Camur’s game is pretty shallow, but he’s durable and he’s got decent form. Aleksa Camur via TKO.
Staff picking Boser: Chris, Dayne, Eddie, Tim, Kristen, Victor, Stephie, Anton
Staff picking Camur: Jack, Lucas, Zane
Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ľudovít Klein
Dayne: Klein is cursed in the sense of his frame. He’s too wide to effectively make featherweight, but his short stature makes him vulnerable to the lankier members of the lightweight division. Knowing that, he ends up getting one of the longest members of the division in Bahamondes. While I don’t believe Bahamondes is long for 155, he has greatly improved his ability to fight on the outside since his loss to John Makdessi. I expect it to be a long night for Klein. Bahamondes via decision
Victor: I was just gonna put a line of Peruvian flags across the screen for this. Ignacio Bahamondes by submission.
Zane: Seems like a terrible fight for Klein who does his best work out at kicking range and otherwise often needs takedowns. Bahamondes is insanely long and incredibly difficult to take down. Ignacio Bahamondes via decision.
Staff picking Bahamondes: Jack, Lucas, Dayne, Eddie, Kristen, Victor, Zane, Stephie, Anton
Staff picking Klein: Chris, Tim
Raoni Barcelos vs. Kyler Phillips
Dayne: This is an awkward fight of conflicting generations…
To read the rest of our UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font staff picks head on over to Substack. Now that Bloody Elbow is a fully independent site the best way to support us, so that we can continue fearless coverage of combat sports, is to pick up a paid subscription. Paid subscribers help fund other exclusive content like editorials from Karim Zidan and Jonathan Snowden and investigations by John S. Nash.
Leaderboard
Dayne and Eddie are still locked into first place (despite what Eddie might tell you in person), after what went down at UC 291. I actually did the best last week (a very rare occurrence). That wasn’t enough for me to move up the standings, though. Let’s see if that changes after UFC Fight Night: Sandhagen vs. Font.
| Position | Staffer | Correct | Incorrect | Total Picks | % | Picks Back | Week 24 Record |
| 1 (-) | Dayne 🇺🇸 | 186 | 128 | 314 | 0.592 | 6-5 | |
| 1 (-) | Eddie 🇺🇸 | 186 | 128 | 314 | 0.592 | – | 6-5 |
| 3 (-) | Anton 🇵🇭 | 184 | 130 | 314 | 0.586 | 2 | 7-4 |
| 4 (-) | Zane 🇺🇸 | 180 | 134 | 314 | 0.573 | 6 | 7-4 |
| 5 (-) | Kristen 🇺🇸 | 179 | 135 | 314 | 0.570 | 7 | 7-4 |
| 6 (-) | Stephie 🇺🇸 | 175 | 126 | 301 | 0.581 | 11 | 5-6 |
| 7 (-) | Lucas 🇧🇷 | 166 | 136 | 302 | 0.550 | 20 | 5-6 |
| 8 (-) | Tim 🇨🇦 | 166 | 148 | 314 | 0.529 | 20 | 9-2 |
| 9 (-) | Chris 🇺🇸 | 143 | 159 | 302 | 0.474 | 44 | 5-6 |
| 10 (-) | BE Community 🌎 | 120 | 129 | 249 | 0.482 | 66 | 6-5 |
| 11 (-) | Victor 🇺🇸 | 114 | 100 | 214 | 0.533 | 72 | 7-4 |
| 12 (-) | Jack 🇨🇦 | 109 | 81 | 190 | 0.574 | 76 | 8-4 |
| 13 (-) | Ben 🇺🇸 | 52 | 32 | 84 | 0.600 | 134 | 0-0 |
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