Athletes
Rob Font | Age Is Just A Number
The 38-Year-Old Rob Font Is Eager To Show He Is Still A Factor In The Bantamweight Rankings As He Faces Raul Rosas Jr. At UFC 326: Holloway vs Oliveira 2
Rob Font can’t help but laugh at the age difference between him and his UFC 326 opponent, Raul Rosas Jr., especially when someone pointed out the fact that Rosas Jr. was all of nine years old when Font made his UFC debut in July 2014.
“I was like, ‘Goddammit, they just keep killing me right now,’” Font said. “When you see it, like, ‘Man, I'm really about to … fight a kid right now,’ but it's cool.”
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Granted, Rosas Jr. is now 21 years old, and the 38-year-old Font knows it’s par for the course when you’re a veteran of the fight game.
“It's part of the business,” he said. “I was in the position when I was a younger guy fighting the older guy, but now, I'm the older guy fighting the young guys. I don't mind it. I fought most of the bantamweights anyway, so it's good to keep fresh guys coming in, and I don't mind being the test for them.”
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For the most part, Font has turned away rising contenders. The first such challenge came in April 2023 when he faced the streaking Adrian Yañez in Miami. Coming off two losses, most viewed Font as another rung on the ladder, but Font emphatically reminded everyone he was very much a player at 135 pounds when he knocked the Houston-native out in the first round.
After suffering two more losses, Font faced Kyler Phillips, who went into the bout riding a 3-fight winning streak. Once again, Font proved he was much more than a veteran steppingstone. He weathered the storm in the first round before taking over the fight in the next two, earning the win on the judges’ scorecards.
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He continued the tune in 2025 when he faced Jean Matsumoto, who replaced the injured Dominick Cruz in Seattle. The Brazilian fought valiantly, but Font did enough to turn the upstart away via split decision. In Font’s last fight, he once again found himself across from a late replacement in David Martinez, who stepped up for the injured Rosas Jr. at Noche UFC, but this time, the youngster got the better of the vet. Font fought well, but Martinez made the most of his opportunity, securing a spot in the rankings just two fights into his UFC career.
Font, disappointed, is keen to hold his spot against Rosas Jr., who made history as the youngest UFC fighter upon his debut in December 2022 and is riding a 4-fight winning streak into March 7. However, Font believes his Octagon time and cardio will pay dividends.
“The experience, I think, it's going to play into me being a lot more calm when it gets chaotic in there,” Font said. “I think I'm going to be able to conserve my energy a lot better than he will, and he gets tired, and I don't get tired the way he does. I'm not saying he hasn't fixed that, and he's young, and he’s always going to be improving, but his track record shows that he will get tired, and I don't get tired like that. I'm planning on exposing that, and I'm taking advantage of it.”
RELATED: See What Raul Rosas Jr. Had To Say Ahead Of His Fight Against Font
Even though Font is much closer to 40 then he is to his 20s, he also believes there is something to be said about picking combat sports up a little later in life. He didn’t start training in mixed martial arts until his 20s, making his professional debut at 24 years old.
While there is an inherent advantage to growing up in the karate dojo or on wrestling mats, Font feels fresher than if he had a different childhood.
“I think it's a gift and a curse,” he said. “I don't have the wear and tear like most wrestlers and boxers have, don't have the experience, but I’m also not beat up. I'm older, but my cage age is not as old as obviously my age.”
At the end of the day, age won’t matter when the two square off in T-Mobile Arena. Font expects Rosas Jr. to strike a little more than some anticipate, and he is ready for all of the dynamic weapons coming his way from the youngster.
Gameplanning with the sharp minds at Tristar Gym in Montreal, Font thinks he’ll find his groove after stuffing a couple of takedowns and attacking Rosas Jr.’s body and legs before eventually finding the finish.
From there, it’s business as usual: look to get another fight, prove how good he is, and try to show age is, in fact, just a number.
“I don't think (a win) moves the needle as much,” he said. “But it keeps me relevant, gets me back out there, and gives me an opportunity to beat another young boy.”
UFC 326: Holloway vs Oliveira 2 took place live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on March 7, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!