Hopes were high for MMA Lab product Kyler Phillips going into the co-main event of UFC Vegas 99 on Saturday eve at the UFC Apex.
Kyler was a -600 favorite going into his loss against Rob Font at UFC Vegas 99; his grappling upside and prodigious kickboxing ability had oddsmakers thinking quite highly of the 29-year-old.
Kyler Phillips knees Rojo in the clinch and then times a twisting foot sweep when Rojo tries to land his own knee. pic.twitter.com/u5IRhG3jJS
— Miguel Class (@MigClass) October 14, 2024
However, Font refused to stay on the ground in the second and third rounds, then used his jab/ranged boxing mastery mixed with his tricky single collar-tie dirty boxing to confidently out-strike Phillips.
Now, the Arizona native must find a way to improve even more if he still has designs on being champion.
For his next fight, Phillips will have to fight down in the rankings to gain more experience and give another prospect a chance in this stacked division.
At present, no prospect deserves a shot at the rankings more than Montel Jackson. ‘Quik’ is on a five-fight winning streak, with three of those by way of knockout. Beating a legend like
Rani Yahya and other skilled bantamweights like Julio Arce and Da’Mon Blackshear should absolutely earn him a ranked foe, and Kyler is in the perfect position to be that opponent for Jackson.
Both men are flashy strikers but also skillful grapplers, so as is often the case at bantamweight, this fight would have the chance to showcase the diverse dynamics the sport of MMA can display when at its best.
Phillips’ Next Fight: vs Montel Jackson
Man Montel Jackson? #UFCDenver pic.twitter.com/7jJ26U9poI
— Jason Williams (@jasoneg33) July 14, 2024
