Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips Prediction, Picks, Time: UFC Vegas 99

Rob Font and Kyler Phillips meet in the co-main event of UFC Fight Night 245 on Saturday at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

Last event: 3-3
UFC main cards, 2024: 87-77-3

Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 preview

Font (20-8 MMA, 10-7 UFC) comes into this co-feature fight looking for his first win since last April, a first-round finish of Adrian Yanez at UFC 287. He then lost back-to-back. Opposite fights against former interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen and former flyweight world champion Deiveson Figueiredo. … Phillips (12-2 MMA, 6-1 UFC) is coming off winners of three straight outings. His last appearance was a unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz, which was followed by wins over Raoni Barcelos and Marcelo Rojo.

Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 Expert Pick, Prediction

The co-main event at Apex features a cracker in the bantamweight division between Font and Phillips.

Looking for the proverbial gateway to his top 10 ranking, Font finds himself on the wrong end of a two-fight defeat.

While Phillips, who looks like the Latino version of Brad Pitt from “Legends of the Fall,” has been quietly climbing the rankings since his only UFC loss to Raulian Paiva in 2021.

While the smaller octagon should favor Font as it gives Phillips less terrain to work with, I still suspect this will be an upset matchup for the New England native.

Not only has Phillips proven he can still move effectively in the smaller cage, but the MMA Lab product's “all way in, all way out” approach could be problematic for Font – especially if Phillips adds takedowns.

I wish this was scheduled for five rounds so we could see Philiips' somewhat suspect gas tank being tested, but I believe its volume and variety will be enough to get at least two frames in the eyes of the judges.

The official choice is Phillips by unanimous decision.

Rob Font vs Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 odds

The oddsmakers and the public are heavily favoring the younger fighter, calling Phillips -450 and Font +330 via FanDuel.

Rob Font vs. Kyler Phillips UFC Fight Night 245 start time, how to watch

As the co-main event, Font and Phillips are scheduled to head to the cage around 8:35 p.m. ET (5:35 p.m. PT). The fight will be streamed on ESPN+.