Athletes
Rob Font Remains Ready For The Unexpected
Bantamweight Rob Font Aims To Pick Up His Third Straight Win When He Faces David Martinez At Noche UFC
Rob Font is no stranger to the changes that can happen last minute in the fight game. In fact, he doesn’t even believe a fight is going to happen until the Octagon door closes behind him. For the second time this year, the bantamweight has had his opponent switched less than two weeks out from the fight, but for Font, this isn’t his first rodeo.
“I think altogether this is like my 12th opponent switch, 9 in the UFC, I think 3 or 4 in the local scene, so it is something that I’m used to,” Font said. “It’s something that I mentally prepare for. I know that anything can happen, even on fight week, so hopefully everything goes smooth, and we get to the cage, and the fight continues with my opponent right now. It’s just part of the game, it sucks, things happen, but I’m used to it.”
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Font was originally set to face Raul Rosas Jr. in the co-main event of Noche UFC in San Antonio, but after Rosas Jr. had to withdraw, things shifted and he will now face David Martinez, who enters only his second UFC fight on Saturday night.
Regardless of who Font was going to face, focusing on the opponent and creating a game plan isn’t something that he spends too much time worrying about. That’s what happens when you’ve dealt with a handful of opponent changes throughout your career.
“I don’t care too much about what the opponent is doing or what he could potentially do,” Font said. “I know I’m working on my striking, my wrestling and my jiu-jitsu. Some coaches get mad at me about that and I’m like, ‘Trust me. I hope this opponent stays in and I hope I get to the fight.’ It sucks that it happened so many times, but it’s one of those things where I’m not trying to be tough, but I really don’t care who I’m fighting because I know what I’m trying to do and what I expect myself to do.”
When it comes to experience, Font definitely has the upper hand, with over 10 years of walks to the Octagon under his belt. On the flip side, Mexico’s Martinez made his UFC debut earlier this year in Mexico City, where he earned an impressive first-round TKO, improving his record to 12-1.
Despite the experience difference between these two, Martinez comes into the matchup with the credentials to back up the hype, with 10 of his 12 wins ending by knockout. He also currently rides an eight-fight win streak into this co-main event clash. But regardless of what the number says, Font plans to show Martinez the levels that there are to this game.
“I do think the experience is going to play a factor, specifically in the second or third round,” Font said. “Ideally, he is going to come out fast, he is going to come out guns blazing in the first round. I think that’s going to be his age, his youth, his willingness to want to get into a fight and prove himself, take my ranking and make a name for himself. My job is to go out there, capitalize on his mistakes and make him feel like the younger fighter.”
Saturday’s fight card marks a special night, as UFC hosts its third Noche UFC card on Mexican Independence Day weekend, this time in San Antonio. To be able to compete on this card is a special occasion, but to also be featured in the co-main event is something that Font is proud of, and he plans to make the most of it.
“This a big card,” Font said. “I’ve been in Texas for about six weeks now and I’m loving Texas. It’s been awesome out here. To have the Mexican fanbase, I’m the Puerto Rico fighter coming in, this is a classic matchup. I plan on performing, hunting for that bonus and getting my hand raised.”
When it comes to the matchup, Font is really hoping to lock up a submission. In the time leading up to this fight, he has spent time at Kingsway Jiu-Jitsu in Austin, Texas, with Gordon Ryan and Garry Tonon and believes that his jiu-jitsu skills have increased drastically. Now, he isn’t going to overdo it when it comes to finding the finish, but he is hopeful that he’ll be able to show off the work he has been putting in the gym.
A win inside Frost Bank Center would mark Font’s third win in a row and keep the No. 9 ranking next to his name in the bantamweight division. He isn’t looking past his matchup with Martinez by any means, but when he thinks about what three wins in a row could set him up for, a matchup with “El Nino Problema” is still very intriguing to him.
“I don’t like to think too far ahead, but I wouldn’t mind Raul. That’d be a good one to get back, but we’ll see. It’s kind of tough because I feel like I’ve fought all of the top 10 ahead of me, so there could still be potential of me fighting an unranked fighter again and if it is, I wouldn’t mind fighting Raul Rosas Jr.”
Noche UFC: Lopes vs Silva took place live Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas on September 13,2025. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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