Marlon Vera had something to say to fighters who cut large amounts of weight following his win over Rob Font at UFC Vegas 53 tonight.
The unanimous decision victory means #8 ranked bantamweight Vera is now riding a three-fight win streak, and in defeating the #5-ranked Font, the 29-year-old will likely enter the division’s top five in the coming days. Both Vera and Font took home an extra $50,000 for what was a thrilling, back-and-forth Fight of the Night performance.
The fight, however, was fought at catchweight thanks to Font missing the 135-pound weight cut-off. The 34-year-old tipped the scales at 135.8 pounds, and as a result, had to forfeit 20% of his fight purse. In addition to taking home a lighter than usual fight purse, Font has now suffered back-to-back defeats, having previously lost to José Aldo in December.
Marlon Vera Slams Fighters Who Make Big Weight Cuts As Cheaters
At the UFC Vegas 53 post-fight press conference, Marlon Vera didn’t hold back when asked his thoughts on Font’s failed weight cut. The Ecuadorian said that while he didn’t have a problem with weight cutting per se, he did take issue with those fighters who cut a significant amount of weight.
“It just told me how big the guy is for the division,” said Vera. “Some ’35ers should fight at ’45, but seems like they don’t have the balls to do it, you know? They know how to cut weight … I don’t have any problem about it, but I do believe big weight cuts … it’s just as equal as cheating. You know, I’m a guy who keeps my weight at ’52, ’55 … but it’s also because I’m training year-round. So, if you’re not consistent enough, it will catch up to you one day … and we saw that tonight.”
What do you think? Do you agree with Marlon Vera that fighters who make big weight cuts are cheating the system?
Continue Reading Marlon Vera On Fighters Making Big Weight Cuts: “It’s Cheating” at MMA News.