UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo
| Industry | Mixed martial arts event |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2021-12-04 |
| Headquarters | Enterprise, Nevada , United States |
| Products | Mixed martial arts competition |
UFC on ESPN: Font vs. Aldo—also referred to as UFC on ESPN 31 and UFC Vegas 44'—was a mixed martial arts competition organized by the Ultimate Fighting Championship on December 4, 2021. The event took place at the UFC Apex facility located in Enterprise, Nevada, within the Las Vegas metropolitan region.
Background
The main event featured a bantamweight clash between Rob Font and former UFC Featherweight Champion José Aldo.
Originally set for UFC Fight Night: Santos vs. Walker, a light heavyweight bout between Jimmy Crute and Jamahal Hill was postponed and rescheduled to this card.
A heavyweight matchup between Tanner Boser and Sergei Pavlovich was intended but ultimately canceled due to complications related to travel.
The middleweight contest involving Maki Pitolo and Duško Todorović was held after being deferred from a previous event following Pitolo’s withdrawal.
In the women’s strawweight division, the fight initially planned as Montserrat Ruiz versus Mallory Martin underwent a change when Ruiz was replaced by Cheyanne Vlismas.
The middleweight bout featuring Brendan Allen experienced multiple opponent adjustments: first scheduled against Brad Tavares, who withdrew; then replaced by Roman Dolidze, who also pulled out due to complications from COVID-19 recovery; finally, Chris Curtis stepped in as the opponent.
The light heavyweight pairing of William Knight and Alonzo Menifield proceeded after prior cancellations caused by positive COVID-19 diagnoses.
A welterweight fight between Matt Brown and Bryan Barberena was modified when Brown tested positive for COVID-19, leading to Darian Weeks stepping in as his replacement.
Philipe Lins was slated to face newcomer Azamat Murzakanov, but following Lins’ withdrawal, Jared Vanderaa took his place, converting the bout to heavyweight. However, the fight was called off at weigh-ins when Vanderaa failed medical clearance.
A welterweight matchup between Jake Matthews and Jeremiah Wells was canceled just hours before the event after a cornerman for Wells tested positive for COVID-19.
Bonus awards
Monetary bonuses of $50,000 were granted as follows:
- Fight of the Night: Cheyanne Vlismas vs. Mallory Martin
- Performance of the Night: Rafael Fiziev, Jamahal Hill, Clay Guida, Chris Curtis