Highlights! Vera Turns Font’s Face Into Mush, Wins Decision

Marlon Vera scored an impressive victory in his first UFC main event earlier tonight (Sat., Apr. 30, 2022) at UFC Vegas 53 live on ESPN/ESPN+ from inside UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada, when “Chito” outlasted bantamweight contender Rob Font to the tune of a unanimous decision.

Vera landed hard leg kicks in the early going, but it was the jab and attacks to the body by Font that did the most damage. “Chito” opened up more in the second round with body kicks and forward combinations. Font responded with more body shots and crisp punches down the pipe. Vera came out of nowhere to end the second with a big left that dropped Font and nearly ended the fight.

Font kept the volume up in the third, but Vera had a noticeable power advantage. Towards the end of the frame “Chito” launched a perfectly-timed knee that caught Font and left him on skates. Vera rushed in for the finish but Font was saved by the bell again. Vera struck again in the fourth when he landed a side kick from hell directly to Font’s face. Somehow Font survived and even returned to his feet to land more strikes.

Despite a battered and bloody face Font kept plodding forward in the fifth round as he surpassed 200 total strikes. Vera was right there to counter with heavier shots, but Font’s persistence allowed him to control the action. That was before Vera landed another late-round attack with a flush head kick. In the end, the judges awarded Vera with the decision.

Check out the full fight video highlights below courtesy of UFC/ESPN:

For complete UFC Vegas 53 results and coverage click HERE.