Tomorrow night on the main card of UFC Seattle, we are going to see an interesting catchweight fight that was originally not part of the card. 9th ranked bantamweight contender Rob Font (21-8) will look to hold onto his spot as he takes on rising undefeated contender Jean Matsumoto (16-0).
Originally, Font was supposed to face Dominick Cruz in Cruz’s retirement fight. However, a serious shoulder injury forced Cruz out of the fight and Cruz decided to retire from the sport. The promotion wanted Font to stay on the card and now he’s fighting Matsumoto at 140 pounds.
For Font, he’s looking for his second straight win. He had a big time performance in his last fight as the underdog against Kyler Phillips. Font showed everyone that he still has a lot left in the tank as he won a clear decision over Phillips which snapped a two-fight skid. Now, he finds himself the underdog again against Matsumoto.
Matsumoto earned a contract on The Contender Series back in 2023 and he fought twice last year winning both fights. His most recent win came against Ultimate Fighter winner Brad Katona back in October. Matsumoto was supposed to fight Chris Gutierrez next month but now he’s getting the opportunity to fight Font at UFC Seattle.
UFC Seattle Prediction
I think there’s a reason why so many people are high on Jean Matsumoto. He’s extremely well-rounded and he’s comfortable wherever the fight goes. That said, I would venture a guess that he’s going to try and use his wrestling in this fight tomorrow night.
Font has very good boxing and we’ve seen him use that boxing to take out young contenders like Adrian Yanez and Kyler Phillips. However, Font has really struggled against guys who can take him down and control him on the ground. If Matsumoto is able to take Font down, I don’t trust Font’s ability to get back to his feet consistently.
I think the smart money is on Matsumoto at UFC Seattle. I just think the odds are in his favor to land some takedowns and control the majority of at least two rounds on his way to winning a decision. Rob Font has a way of turning it on in fights like these so I wouldn’t be shocked to see him do it again, but I’m rolling with Matsumoto.
Prediction: Jean Matsumoto by Decision