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Rob Font was left disfigured in record-setting fight with UFC bogeyman Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera

Originally posted on Bloody Elbow | By Mathew Riddle | Last updated Feb 17, 2025 2:06 PM ET

Straight out of a horror movie is how you would describe Rob Font’s face after his record-setting loss to Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC Vegas 53.

Font fights undefeated 16-0 Jean Matsumoto in the co-main event of UFC Seattle on February 22. He enters the fight as a slight underdog. He was a considerable underdog in his last performance against Kyler Phillips, where he won a dominant decision.

One of Font’s most troublesome fights came in 2022 against Marlon ‘Chito Vera’ in the main event of UFC Vegas 53. Font was looking to recoup from a shock loss to UFC veteran Jose Aldo in his last performance and was a slight favorite to defeat Vera.

Nobody could have foreseen the beatdown that followed.

Marlon Vera mauled Rob Font to secure a bloody victory

Despite controlling the pace of most of the rounds, Font lost unanimously on all scorecards. Vera delivered damage and knocked down Font in the dying seconds of several rounds, which cost him the fight over 25 minutes.

Vera secured three knockdowns in three separate rounds with a punch, a knee, and a crescent kick. He busted up Font’s face in the process, and the American fighter was unrecognizable by the final bell. Font walked away with two swollen eyes and a bloodied visage, while ‘Chito’ barely carried a mark.

Vera-Font set a unique UFC record

While winning unanimously, Vera was outstruck by font by a large margin. His negative differential was -112 strikes, the highest negative differential for a fighter to win a fight in UFC history. Font landed 271 strikes to Vera’s 159.

Vera’s low tempo would become a double-edged sword as he went 2-3 in his next five fights, dropping decisions to frenetic fighters Cory Sandhagen, Sean O’Malley, and Deiveson Figueiredo.

This article first appeared on Bloody Elbow and was syndicated with permission.

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