No. 2 bantamweight Sergio Pettis (17-4, 3 KOs, 3 SUBs) will meet No. 11 Rob Font (15-4, 7 KOs, 4 SUBs) at UFC on FOX 31 on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The card airs live on FOX starting 8pm EST.
No. 2 flyweight Sergio Pettis is testing new waters. Coming off a 1-2 slide in which he lost to current 125-pound champion Henry Cejudo and contender Jussier da Silva, the younger Pettis brother will try out his luck at 135 pounds - starting with a contest against No. 11 bantamweight Rob Font this Saturday at UFC on FOX 31.
Font is in mired in a 1-2 slump of his own, with losses to Pedro Munhoz and Raphael Assuncao sandwiched around an impressive win over Thomas Almeida. With all three of his losses coming against the upper tier of 135-pounds, Font makes for the perfect acid test: a win over him means something, but losing to Font would clearly indicate that Pettis might not have the goods to become a legit title contender.
Let’s check in with the UFC odds at BookMaker.eu and break down your best betting options. Don’t forget that live UFC betting is also available if you need to hedge any of your bets. It’s the best way to cushion any losses. Now let’s get to it.
UFC on FOX 31 Betting at BookMaker.eu
Sergio Pettis +140
Rob Font -180
Significant Striking Stats
Landed per minute: Font 4.38 / Pettis 3.6
Accuracy: Font 39% / Pettis 37%
Absorbed per minute: Font 3.69 / Pettis 2.56
Defense: Font 63% / Pettis 65%
Grappling Stats
Takedown average: Font 1.13 / Pettis 0.91
Takedown accuracy: Font 29% / Pettis 39%
Takedown defense: Font 25% / Pettis 68%
Submission average: Font 0.9 / Pettis 0.41
Bet this fight at BookMaker.eu
There isn’t much that Font can’t do. He’s best on his feet, pressuring with solid boxing combinations, changing up his stance and digging with snapping front kicks. When pressured, Font stays cool and counters effectively from his back foot. While not an excellent wrestler, Font is certainly a capable one, and his top game is an effective mix of GNP and submission attempts. To date, 11 of his 15 wins have come by some form of stoppage - a solid number for a lighter weight fighter.
Pettis seems to finally have escaped the shadow of his older brother. There was never really many similarities in their games to begin with. Where Anthony favored athletic striking, Sergio was more about solid fundamentals. Instead of going for flashy finishes, the 25-year old has a more workmanlike approach, mostly outworking his opponents en route to decision wins.
While Font isn’t an aggressive offensive wrestler, going this route would exploit Pettis’ historically shaky takedown defense. Of course, Font’s 29% defense is far worse on paper, but this is where the size factors in: Font has been fighting 10 pounds above Pettis, is two inches taller and his frame is more filled out.
Bet Online: Font to win at -180
Pettis has done good work to get near the top of the flyweight division, but nothing in his past suggests that he would ever be a dominant force at 125 pounds. We don’t see how that changes fighting bigger dudes. If he was a speed and technique freak like Mighty Mouse, we could build a solid argument against Font. That’s definitely not the case.
Bet Online: Fight doesn’t go to decision
This is more a gut call, but Font’s size complements his finishing ability well against a smaller fighter. Whether it’s on the feet or mat, it’s easy to see the 31-year old overwhelming Pettis to some degree and earning a stoppage.
UFC on FOX 31 Odds at BookMaker.eu
Access live betting lines from your mobile device at BookMaker Sportsbook! Real-time spreads, totals, props and money line are all available so start betting with BookMaker today. UFC on FOX 31 takes place on Saturday, December 15, 2018 at the Wisconsin Entertainment and Sports Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The card airs live on FOX starting 8pm EST.
