Sandhagen grinds out Font in UFC Nashville main event

Usually one of the most exciting bantamweights in the UFC, Cory Sandhagen slowed things down against Rob Font but still got the job done in dominant fashion.

Sandhagen defeated Font via unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) in the UFC Nashville main event Saturday night. The fight was a 140-pound catchweight bout.

Sandhagen, who used his wrestling and grappling to blank Font on the scorecards, keeps his momentum going after beating Marlon Vera in a main-event bout in March. He's now won three straight and could be next in line for a title shot.

"(Champion Aljamain) Sterling, (Sean) O'Malley, I'll see you in Boston," Sandhagen said in his postfight interview. "I want next."

Sandhagen scored takedowns in all five rounds and spent most of the fight controlling Font in top position. However, Sandhagen didn't register much offense with punches. He attempted a submission in the fifth round, but Font's defense held up.

Sandhagen said in his postfight interview that he believes he tore his tricep in the first round, adding that he's recently dealt with issues with his elbow. Sandhagen said it was "a technical fight" and that he's "a wrestler now."

Font stepped in on short notice after Umar Nurmagomedov withdrew from the Sandhagen fight due to an injury. Font was coming off a knockout win over Adrian Yanez in April. The Boston resident is 1-3 in his last four Octagon appearances.