Rob Font reveals secret for knocking dudes out

UFC bantamweight Rob Font recently made an important discovery.

Never known for his one-shot power, Font has suddenly pieced together three straight knockout victories, the latest two coming under the UFC banner.

In his promotional debut at UFC 175, he put out George Roop with a ferocious right hand. A flurry of punches – beginning with a cracking left hook – wiped out Joey Gomez in his sophomore appearance inside the Octagon.

These victories, Font said, are the result of one significant change.

"You know when you’re target shooting – like on video games or whatever – a target pops up and you just shoot it? Before, I would wait for the target and kind of, ‘Ehh, I don’t really like that target,’" Font told MMA Fighting. "Now, I’m just, every time it pops up, I just go 100 percent in. It’s not reckless or crazy or wild, but if something does pop up, I’m going to swing. I’m just doing it now. Any opportunity that presents itself, I just go now. Before, I’d hold back."

This revelation should excite fans as Font strolls into his next bout. Against John Lineker at UFC 198 Saturday, Font finds himself matchup against someone who – like him – isn't shy about putting fist to face.

Lineker is known as one of the best knockout artists in the game, with four of his seven UFC victories coming via knockout or technical knockout. A fifth victory, his most recent against Francisco Rivera at UFC 191, ended via guillotine, but it was a huge shot that initiated the scramble and led to the submission.

Font welcomes Lineker's heat.

"If I get a guy coming forward, I do great backing up," Font said. "For a while, I had to learn how to fight moving forward. My thing was always countering and backing up. When you get a guy who’s going to come out throwing bombs in the first minute, that’s more opportunities for me. That plays to my strengths, and I’m going to make him pay."

A win over Lineker would represent Font's 12th straight. At 13-1 with three victories – and potentially three finishes – inside the Octagon, he'd become a contender to keep an eye on moving forward in 2016.

As he sees it, Lineker is the perfect opponent to help him get the party rolling.

"He’s [Lineker is] definitely a contender," Font said. "I think he would have had a title shot at [1]25 if he could make weight. But I believe he’s never had a fighter who has a real calm, patient way and doesn’t really get into other people’s fights.

"He’s tough, he’s experienced, and he brings the fight, but I’m going to make a name off his name."