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UFC 175 results, photos: Rob Font blasts George Roop for first-round KO

LAS VEGAS – After a quick and victorious UFC debut, Rob Font declared UFC jitters “a lie,” and at least in his case, it seems true.

After taking a couple minutes to find his footing against George Roop, Font (11-1 MMA, 1-0 UFC) unleashed a blistering right hand that sent Roop (15-11-1 MMA, 5-7 UFC) collapsing to the mat in a slow-motion fall that spelled the end, resulting in a TKO stoppage at 2:19 of Round 1.

The bantamweight bout was part of the preliminary card of today’s UFC 175 event at Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. It aired on FOX Sports 1 following additional prelims on UFC Fight Pass and ahead of a main card on pay-per-view.

Font came into this fight with considerable hype due to his exploits in smaller organizations, but he faced a UFC veteran in Roop who seemed primed to test his skills. Font didn’t take long to pass that test, however, sneaking a straight right hand just inside Roop’s left hook.

The blow set off an almost delayed reaction in Roop, who seemed frozen for an instant before halting and drooping to the floor as Font followed up with a few perfunctory strikes to settle the matter for good. After declaring the octagon jitters a myth, Font insisted he “felt great in here.” After a finish like that, UFC officials would likely agree that he looked it, too.

“We knew he threw big punches coming into the fight, so we had to be ready for everything,” Font said. “The first minute of the fight, I wasn’t as agile as I wanted to be. I had a tough time getting my jab going and finding range. I started forcing my shots, and then the hook connected that dropped him. After that, everything obviously felt great. I went in and followed up for the finish.

“I’m really hoping that I can stay active in the UFC and get right back in there. I’d love a fight with Sergio Pettis. I think our styles match up well and it would be a great show for the fans.”

The win makes it 10 in a row for Font. Roop has now lost two of his last three.

Up-to-the-minute UFC 175 results include:

For complete coverage of UFC 175, stay tuned to the UFC Events section of the site.

(John Morgan, Matt Erickson and Mike Bohn contributed to this report on-site in Las Vegas.)

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