Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images
Surging bantamweight contender Marlon Vera continued his dominance earlier tonight(Sat., Oct. 12, 2019) at UFC Fight Night 161 live on ESPN+ from inside Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, when he finished a very game Andre Ewell via third-round TKO (elbows and punches) to score his fifth-straight Octagon stoppage.
Despite some early efforts by the much longer Ewell, it was Vera’s aggression and well-rounded striking arsenal that ultimately led the dance. Vera had ample success backing Ewell into the cage, taking away his reach, and slamming knees and punches into the body of Ewell at will. During a submission attempt along the cage in the third round Vera was able to get Ewell to the ground and saw his opportunity to pounce for the finish. “Chito” launched heavy elbows and punches before the referee saw enough and saved Ewell from further punishment.
Check out the late finish above and more action below, both courtesy of UFC/ESPN:
Chito turning it on in to close out round 2! #UFCTampa pic.twitter.com/kN7UBf8jxF
— UFC (@ufc) October 12, 2019
With this performance, Vera locks down his fifth-straight win at 135 pounds and proves that he’s absolutely ready for a shot at the top 15, if not the top 10. The 26-year-old consistently gets better every time he steps foot inside of the cage and could be a real problem for aspiring bantamweight contenders entering 2020. Because at this time “Chito” may be the best finisher in the division.
For complete UFC Tampa results and coverage click here.