Rob Font believes he should be the one to face TJ Dillashaw next.
Font is coming off arguably the biggest win of his career following a first-round knockout of Marlon Moraes at UFC Vegas 17 last month.
In his post-fight interview, he would earmark a potential next opponent in Dillashaw who is eligible to compete as of later this month as his two-year suspension for a failed drug test expires.
As of now, it remains to be seen who Dillashaw will eventually end up fighting on his return as he wants an immediate title shot. There are also question marks over how he’ll perform after two years of inactivity.
Assuming he’s the same or even a better version of his previous self, more than Dillashaw’s name, Font is eager to test himself against the former champion’s overall skillset.
“All that’s a bonus,” Font said of Dillashaw’s profile and standing as a former champion on the Real Quick with Mike Swick podcast. “For me, I want to test myself against someone who throws that much output. He throws a lot. But for me, I see there’s a lot of opportunities for me to sneak something in as well. He’ll get out there, the output is going to be ridiculous from the kicks, the way he’s putting together the hands with the kicks, switching stances. I feel like once I lock in with my jab, I can shut a lot of that down and I feel like he’s been getting hit a bit too much lately that I feel like if I go land a combination, I’m going to be able to hurt him early.
“From there, he naturally goes in and throws more punches. I feel like once I hurt him, he’s going to pick it up a little more then, which means more opportunities for me to counter him. I feel like if I get my jab going, hurt him, counter off of his attack, I’ll be able to put him away. That excites me fighting a guy like that, a veteran, an ex-champ.
“I want to test his cardio as well. See how long he can really go. He’s known for his cardio, being creative and putting a lot of output. Let’s see how he does coming back off a suspension. I feel like I’m the guy to test him. My reach is going to give him problems, he’s going to run into a lot of shots. … Another big name going off of Marlon Moraes — TJ Dillashaw. You can’t deny me a belt after that especially if I finish this guy the way I plan on finishing him.”
It would certainly be hard to deny Font as a win over Dillashaw would put him on a four-fight winning streak in addition to five wins in his last six overall.
You can watch the full interview below: