Rob Font: ‘I’d probably fight Sean O’Malley before I’d fight Dominick Cruz’

Rob Font makes his walk to the cage to take on Cody Garbrandt in the UFC Fight Night 188 main event. | Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC

Rob Font has no interest in a bantamweight matchup with Dominick Cruz.

Rob Font would prefer to fight Sean O’Malley than Dominick Cruz, stating that nobody is ‘dying to watch’ the latter in the UFC right now.

Font made the comments following a question about his next matchup, with the top-three bantamweight not sure whether he wants to sit on the sidelines following his lopsided decision win over Cody Garbrandt at UFC Vegas 27, which all but guaranteed him a title shot against the winner Petr Yan vs. Aljamain Sterling 2.

“Maybe the Aldo fight [would interest me],” Font told MMA Fighting in a recent interview. “The Cruz one, not so much. He’s nowhere near that belt at all [while] Jose is a little closer. [Dominick] has the name but nobody’s dying to watch Dominick Cruz fight. If anything, I’d probably fight Sean O’Malley before I’d fight Dominick Cruz.”

Font feels a fight with Cruz would be like taking a step backwards whereas a win over O’Malley, who is one of the fastest growing stars in the UFC, could propel him forward and elevate his stock.

“That’s the guy that’s kind of buzzing right now,” Font said of O’Malley. “He’s got that name and I can’t wait for him to fight [next]. Nobody is sitting here dying to watch Dominick Cruz fight. But I’m not gonna lie, I wouldn’t mind watching a ‘Sugar’ Sean fight. I think he’s the bigger name if anything.”

Font is also willing to step up on short notice to fight T.J. Dillashaw and Corey Sandhagen should one of them be forced to pull out of their upcoming bantamweight bout on July 24.

“One hundred percent [I’d step in],” Font stated. “That’s the biggest reason why I want to get back to it because those are high paced fights. Those guys bring it and they’re both super well-rounded so I need to get back to it.

“I don’t want anything to happen [to either of those guys], but if it did I’m the guy to call.”

Font is on a four fight win streak, with standout victories over Sergio Pettis, Marlon Moraes, and Garbrandt. The Massachusetts native is currently ranked #3 in the UFC men’s bantamweight rankings.