After a week-long hiatus, the UFC returns to action this weekend in the form of UFC Vegas 44. The exciting event will take place on Saturday, Dec. 4 and emanate — once again — from the Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show will be available on ESPN+.
While there are a handful of intriguing bouts on the card, the one that has most fans’ attention is the bantamweight main event between former CES Featherweight Championship Rob Font and two-time UFC Featherweight Champion Jose Aldo.
This match could have potential effects on the bantamweight rankings down the line with Font (No. 4) and Aldo (No. 5) both sitting inside of the Top-5. Fortunately, BetOnline’s betting odds shed some light on who’s favored to walk out of Las Vegas with the victory.
UFC Vegas 44 Odds: Rob Font vs Jose Aldo
Odds via BetOnline as of Monday, November 29
- Record: Rob Font (19-4-0) vs Jose Aldo (30-7-0)
- Moneyline: Font (-139) vs Aldo (+119)
- Total Rounds: 4.5 — Over (-145), Under (+115)
- Method of Victory: N/A
Check BetOnline.ag later this week for updated odds and more markets, such as props.
Font Enters Vegas as Favorite
At -139 odds, Font is expected to be victorious at UFC Vegas 44. The 34-year-old has been on a hot streak as of late, winning each of his last four fights. His most recent victory came over Cody Garbrandt back in May, where he won by unanimous decision. He also knocked Marlon Moraes out in the fight before that, meaning two of Font’s last four victories have come against two Top-10 bantamweight fighters.
Facing Aldo is pretty much Font’s toughest matchup to date and he’ll need the victory if he hopes to get his first crack at UFC gold in the near future. With that being said, the fight will likely come down to whether or not he can out-strike the former champion. Both men are well-known for keeping the fight on their feet, so it could all come down to who makes a mistake first. Fortunately for Font, he lands more significant strikes per minute (5.21) with better defense (63%) than Aldo.
At the end of the day, BetOnline is favoring the UFC Vegas 44 main event to go the distance at -145 odds. Font is 7-3 when fights go the distance and 1-0 when it’s a five-rounder, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens if Saturday’s matchup lasts the full 25 minutes.
UFC Vegas 44: Aldo Eyeing Championship Bout
Unlike Font, Aldo actually knows what it’s like to hold gold in the UFC. With that being said, it’s been almost 17 months since he challenged Petr Yan for the bantamweight title at UFC 251 and more than four years since he last held a title at all.
The good news is that it’s looking like Aldo has figured out how to win again. After losing five of seven fights from June 2017 to July 2020, “Junior” is on a two-bout win streak. Both victories were unanimous decisions over Marlon Vera and Pedro Munhoz, who have both been hanging around the Top-10 bantamweight rankings for the last little while.
Aldo’s most recent victories weren’t as impressive as Font’s, however, they should provide the veteran with some momentum. The former champion’s experience fighting in high-pressure bouts should also help him out, although he could be in trouble with Font averaging nearly two more strikes per minute than he does. There’s also the fact that Aldo has been knocked out in four of his last 11 matchups, which doesn’t provide bettors with a lot of confidence.
There’s still hope if Aldo can figure a way to get Font on the ground. While the former only averages 0.57 takedowns per 15 minutes, the latter only has a 48% takedown rating. Keeping that in mind, if Aldo wants to walk out of UFC Vegas 44 with the victory, a mat-based game plan may be the way to go.
Only time will tell who’ll leave the Apex one step closer to a UFC Bantamweight Championship opportunity.
