Originally scheduled to take place three years ago, UFC bantamweights Rob Font and Douglas Silva de Andrade will finally lock horns at UFC 213 on Saturday (July 8).
Font was first scheduled to face Silva de Andrade at UFC 175 in July 2014, only for Silva de Andrade to pull out of the fight and get replaced by George Roop.
Now, the Massachusetts native stands at 12-1 over his last 13 fights and last time out, in December, scored a TKO victory over Matt Schnell at the TUF 24 Finale. He looks to continue his wining ways this weekend at the T-Mobile Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Fighters Only’s Tony Reid spoke to Font, 30, about his UFC debut, his increased tip money and the signature win of his career. He also managed to (kind of) get the answer to the question we’ve always wanted to ask: What is Rob Font’s favourite font?
Q: If you could choose one fight from your career that every MMA fan should see, which fight would you choose and why?
Rob Font: Not to be too boring or give too much of a predictable answer, but it has to be the George Roop fight. Everything went smooth for me in that fight. If I had to choose one fight for the fans to see right now it would be that one.
Q: If you could fight anyone outside the world of MMA, who would you choose to pick a fight with and why?
RF: I would have to say Chuck Norris. Why not? That would be a great fight.
Q: You mom is someone who has been an inspiration to you for most of your life. Can you tell us what makes her so special?
RF: She has always been there for me. I definitely wasn’t a good kid. I gave her a lot of trouble and she was always there. She never turned her back on me. She is a strong woman. She raised three bad ass kids all by herself while working two jobs and going to school, too. She definitely put her work in. I might not have realized it then, but, looking back now, I really appreciate it.
Q: What was her response to seeing her baby boy’s big win over Roop on national TV? What was that first text or call like?
RF: I really couldn’t tell you. She was screaming so loud I couldn’t understand what she was saying. It was chaos. All my family was at the house watching it. She was proud, happy and also excited it was over. It was a great, great feeling hearing her so happy.
Q: Who are your favorite fighters to watch?
RF: I’m a huge Donald Cerrone fan. I love what he brings to the sport of MMA. I love his style, even going back to his WEC days. I’m a fan of the king of my division, too: Urijah Faber. I came up watching those guys in the WEC and now in the UFC, of course. I love Frankie Edgar’s style, too. I love Cain Velasquez, too. If I had to pick one favorite fighter, though, it would be Donald Cerrone.
Q: When you first came on the scene many people on social media were referencing Arial, Impact, Times New Roman and other fonts. So, what is Rob Font’s favorite font?
RF: That’s funny. Honestly, I have no idea what font I like or even what font I use for that matter. I will have to fire up the computer, check it out and get back to you.
Q: You were a pizza delivery guy before debuting in the UFC. The biggest tip you got there was $50 and in your UFC debut the company tipped you $50,000. How does that second tip sound?
RF: It’s definitely better than the fifty bucks from pizza delivery! I wasn’t sure it was real at first. I’m really excited about it. It makes things a bit more comfortable for me and gives me the chance to help out my mom a little bit and start to pay her back for all the pain I have put her through over the course of my life.
