With the brutal bantamweight clash between the boxing-heavy Rob Font and Ecuador’s Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera in the rearview, let’s answer the question on everyone’s lips: What’s next for Marlon Vera after UFC Vegas 53?
The Ecuadorian’s first headliner was a resounding success; one that put the already stacked bantamweight division on alert. The win was made all the more impressive by the fact that Rob Font was in talks to fight for the title not that long ago. This prestigious win over a top contender has pushed the resilient South American further into the depths of the shark tank known as the bantamweight division. Now, will he sink or swim?
UFC Vegas 53
At the start of round 1, Rob Font took advantage of Vera’s slow start, implementing his blistering hand speed and trademark straight punches to pierce through the guard of his opponent. Font’s crisp hands were countered perfectly by some well-timed leg kicks that Vera used as Font planted his weight to throw his hands, a great tactic to use against a boxing heavy opponent. However, Rob was able to maintain his success by introducing the rear uppercut and left hook to mix his angles, to get through Marlon’s tight defense.
The missed weight cut on Rob’s behalf seemed to have no negative impact on his performance in the earlier rounds, as his sharp hands and heavy elbows continued to cause the Ecuadorian problems. As the second round continued, Vera found huge success with his kicks, which he landed to great effect. The Bostonian looked primed to win the second round until Vera unleashed a vicious lunging lead hook to send his opponent to his knees at the end of round 2.
Round 3 saw a slight shift in momentum, as Vera gained confidence. The two warriors fought back and forth, trading blows. That was until Vera landed a beautiful step-in lead knee to drop Font for a second time, again in the last minute of the round. Font, despite the obvious damage he received, showed his heart, coming forward with grit and determination. The two men fought tooth and nail in the fourth, both landing big, with brief intervals of clinching. Vera, again scored his third knockdown with a perfect sidekick to the head but failed to capitalize on his wounded foe. The bell for the fifth round rang, following the formula of the prior rounds, again with Vera scoring a huge hook kick to punctuate the last round. Despite Font landing more, it was clear who the victor was.
Cory Sandhagen
Cory Sandhagen would be a great fight, to further test Vera’s skills at the elite end of the division. While the Colorado-born fighter is on a two-fight losing streak, he has proven that he is one of the best. His only notable losses are to T.J. Dillashaw, Petr Yan, and the current champ Aljermain Sterling. Whilst his fight with Sterling was a dominant loss, due to Aljo’s ability to take backs and Sandhagen’s tendency to struggle in the position, his other losses have been much more even, with many arguing that he won against Dillashaw.
Sandhagen is the master of feinting, a tool he uses to sneak in his diverse arsenal. He is also a great body puncher and leg kicker, two weapons he often throws together in combos. His movement is fluid, both with his footwork and head movement; which is rarely stationary. He really has excellent knowledge of angles and is constantly keeping his opponent guessing, whether by using his feints or even circling off with a jab in search of an opening. A fight with Sandhagen should be what’s next for Marlon Vera, as it would be a very interesting fight, stylistically, while having huge implications for the division.
Vera prefers to throw singular, hard-hitting strikes, while Sandhagen tends to throw with a lot of disruptive volume; something that may cause the more static Vera some issues. While his chin and cardio would be useful weapons against Cory, I believe he would need to adapt his style slightly to maximize his chance at success. Initiating the clinch more often could allow Vera to tie up the elusive American whilst inflicting damage with knees and elbows. Using his tight guard to pressure Cory into the cage and escape either left or right would be great for a solid kicker like Vera, who could round up Cory into a heavy kick (much like Petr Yan did). Also, Vera showed some impressive hand fighting/trapping techniques against Font, which would prove useful against the probing jab of Sandhagen.
Petr Yan
In the search for what’s next for Marlon Vera, the UFC may turn to the former bantamweight champion, Petr Yan. The cold, calculated Siberian will be looking to rematch his rival Aljermain Sterling for the title in the very near future, after dropping a close decision loss at UFC 273. A win over a surging fan favourite like Chito may be enough to keep him busy within a division that moves quickly while providing him with a new name to face.
A bout between Vera and Yan would likely start off slow, with both men gaining data on each other. This would be a dangerous game to play with Yan. Yan is a fighter with computer-like efficiency: He will download your weaknesses early, breaking you down with them in the following rounds. Vera’s cardio may be the answer to this imposing threat, as a volume, kick-heavy approach may be able to overwhelm the former champ, much like Sterling was able to do early in their first fight. If this was a three-rounder, this could play into Vera’s hands well.
The match-up may not take place for now, as it is likely Yan will fight T.J. for the number one contender position.
T.J. Dillashaw
The aforementioned former king of the bantamweight division, T.J. Dillashaw has looked to recapture fallen glory after testing positive for EPO in the pursuit of capturing the flyweight title from Henry Cejudo in 2019. The disgraced ex-champ made his return to action, after a 2-year suspension against Cory Sandhagen. Although he beat the talented Sandhagen on points, many believed that Cory was the rightful winner of the bout. An injury also surfaced after the fight, which has put T.J. out of commission since the summer of 2021.
With Dillashaw looking to come back and build off his win against Sandhagen, he may be what’s next for Marlon Vera. A win over Dillashaw would be a huge notch on Vera’s belt, one that could propel him into title contention. With a combination of long layoffs and the questions still lingering over the PED use, this may be the best opportunity to beat the former champ.
Dominick Cruz
Bantamweight great Dominick Cruz has caught the attention of Marlon Vera, who is willing to fight down in the rankings to face the living legend. Cruz is on a quest to regain his title one last time, with now being his only chance at the ripe age of 37; which is fairly old, especially for a bantamweight.
“Before in the 10 times he declined to fight me, I’m not calling him a p—sy, but he declined a couple of times in the past,” Marlon Vera stated on The MMA Hour. “He always talking about how he wants to fight someone above him. Guess what, I’m above you right now motherf—ker, so now we can go. Now we can go.”
“They tried to make it when I lost to Aldo, I was [ranked] 14 or 15 back then. He was like, ‘it’s not worth it, it’s ranked too low, blah blah.’ Then, they tried to make it before the Edgar fight, I was [ranked] like 13 or 11. He said I was too low, he needed someone to push him to the belt. I think if you beat number five, you’ll be pushed to the belt homie.”
This fight would actually make a lot of sense for both fighters. If Vera wins, he beats a legend of the sport, a former champion and fighter whose name means a lot in the division. Not only that but he will likely be facing a lesser version of the once-dominant Dominick Cruz, who has only lost three times.
For Cruz, a win against Vera would push him though the ranks into the title picture, with Cruz’s sheer name power being a huge bargaining tool. I can see where Cruz would have success against Marlon: His elusive, awkward movement and unorthodox attacks may allow Cruz to earn the decision victory, with Vera’s chin making it difficult to achieve a finish. Cruz has also recently beaten Pedro Munhoz, a power puncher with a dangerous leg kick, a past weakness of Dominick Cruz. A showdown between the two would greatly improve the victor’s standing in the division and should definitely be held in consideration of a title shot.
What’s next for Marlon Vera?
Marlon Vera’s best bet for now would be Cruz for the reasons stated above: It’s the most winnable out of the four names mentioned above, whilst providing a lot of bargaining power if victorious (Cruz is still very capable of beating Vera too). Sandhagen or T.J. would be next if Cruz is unavailable, a win over either man would be an instant title shot. Yan is another big possibility, but will likely be the worst match-up for Chito. A rematch with former opponent Jose Aldo could be on the cards in the future, but the ‘King of Rio’ will probably be facing either Dillashaw or Sterling for title next.
Marlon Vera is constantly improving, proving why he should be considered one of the division’s best. MMA fans should be very excited to see what’s next for Marlon Vera.
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