UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera has called on former champion Dominick Cruz to accept a fight with him now that the Ecuadorian is ranked in the top five. Vera firmly announced his arrival in the upper echelons of the 135-pound weight class last weekend by thoroughly beating top contender Rob Font in the UFC Vegas…
UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera has called on former champion Dominick Cruz to accept a fight with him now that the Ecuadorian is ranked in the top five.
If “Chito” had nerves ahead of his first headliner, he certainly didn’t show them. After starting slow and taking reads, Vera turned up the heat in round two, delivering a knockdown fest for the rest of the contest.
Despite being outstruck en route to his unanimous decision win, the Ecuadorian bared little damage, while Font was nearly unrecognizable after 25 minutes of action.
Now, having risen three spots to #5 on the bantamweight ladder, “Chito” has assessed his next step towards securing his first shot at gold in the UFC. Among his options is a fight against a name that he’s never hesitated to call out.
But “Junior” wasn’t the only UFC legend on the Ecuadorian’s lips.
When the name of Dominick Cruz was brought up, “Chito” was quick to point out the instances in which the former two-time bantamweight titleholder dismissed a match with him because he was too far down the rankings.
Now that the tables have turned, Vera called on “The Dominator,” who’s currently ranked #8, to finally accept him as an opponent.
“Let’s talk about that (Cruz). Before, in the 10 times he declined to fight me — I’m not calling him a p*ssy, but he declined a couple times in the past,” recalled Vera. “He was always talking (about) he wants to fight somebody above him. Guess what? I’m above you right now, mother*cker. So now we can go.
“They tried to make (a fight with Cruz) when I lost to Aldo. I was, I think, 14 or 15 back then. He was like, ‘No, it’s not worth it, blah, blah, blah, (he’s) too low.’ Then they tried to make it before the Edgar fight. I was number, like 13? He was like, ‘Ah no, too low, blah, blah, blah, I need somebody to push me to the belt.’ I think if you beat number five, you can push to the belt homie. The war is out there. If you want it, come get it,” concluded Vera.
With the possible re-arrival of Henry Cejudo, and top contenders like Petr Yan, TJ Dillashaw, Cory Sandhagen, Merab Dvalishvili, Cruz, and Aldo all without an official booking, the future of the bantamweight division is yet to be laid out.
Nevertheless, one thing is for certain: Marlon “Chito” Vera is in the mix.
How do you think a fight between Marlon Vera and Dominick Cruz would play out?
Sean O’Malley makes headlines again, as he maps out his plan to a title shot in early 2023, stating highlight-reel finishes over Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera will elevate him to challenge for the bantamweight belt. Could two impressive victories set Sean O’Malley up to challenge for 135lb Gold? “Two more finishes — early 2023, […]
Sean O’Malley makes headlines again, as he maps out his plan to a title shot in early 2023, stating highlight-reel finishes over Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera will elevate him to challenge for the bantamweight belt.
Could two impressive victories set Sean O’Malley up to challenge for 135lb Gold?
“Two more finishes — early 2023, I’m fighting for the belt, whoever has it,” said O’Malley on the MMA Hour. This confidence in ‘Suga’ has always been an integral aspect of his personality, and it is at an all-time high once again as he prepares for his upcoming bout with Pedro Munhoz at UFC 276.
O’Malley is a born star, who continues to surge and draw attention in and out of the octagon, so if Sean O’Malley can predict his way to a title shot and continue to do so impressively, the UFC will have no option but to grant him a title shot. O’Malley is currently booked to face Pedro Munhoz and an impressive victory will put him exactly where he needs to be to stake his claim as a top contender in the bantamweight division.
Sean O’Malley talks Pedro Munhoz fight & potential rematch with Marlon Vera
In a recent interview on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Sean O’Malley answered questions about his fight with Pedro Munhoz.
O’Malley noted that “It’s a good step up. If you look at his last couple losses there to former champions Dominic Cruz, Jose Aldo, and Frankie Edgar… I think ‘Prelim Pedro’ is the real deal.”
Later in the interview, O’Malley mapped out his route to a title shot in early 2023. He went on to say, “I think after this fight, I go out there, I’ve got to finish Pedro — and I go out there, let’s say I finish Pedro, I get a top-5 guy, whoever that is.”
One potential top-five opponent would be Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera, the only man to have defeated O’Malley so far. O’Malley did not seem adverse to a fight with Vera, stating that “depending on if Chito (Marlon Vera) gets a fight booked, I know that’s a fight that I want.” Having his only professional loss against Marlon Vera, Sean O’Malley said that “he [Vera] has earned” a rematch.
That is a possible rematch that fans and the UFC can get behind, both are young hungry contenders who are eager to challenge for the belt in the talent-rich bantamweight division. Two impressive wins over top contenders in Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera will leave Sean O’Malley a definite contender in the bantamweight division. Both fans and the 135lb elite will have their eyes on O’Malley, possibly even more now after his most recent interview.
Will Sean O’Malley fight for the bantamweight title in 2023?
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has questioned the absence of the kick that led to his 2020 defeat against Marlon Vera from the Ecuadorian’s game. The one and only blemish on O’Malley’s professional record came at UFC 252. In the co-main event, the rising star shared the Octagon with now-top-five contender “Chito” Vera. Midway through the…
UFC bantamweight Sean O’Malley has questioned the absence of the kick that led to his 2020 defeat against Marlon Vera from the Ecuadorian’s game.
The one and only blemish on O’Malley’s professional record came at UFC 252. In the co-main event, the rising star shared the Octagon with now-top-five contender “Chito” Vera.
Midway through the opening round, a leg kick appeared to connect with O’Malley’s peroneal nerve, causing a rare instance of “drop foot,” which the likes of Henry Cejudo and Michael Chandler have notably suffered from in the past.
The MMA community appeared to be largely split on the result. While some gave full credit to “Chito,” and even attributed the kick to skill and placement over luck, others have suggested that without the unlikely connection to the nerve, the fight would have played out very differently.
It’s pretty clear which side of the fence O’Malley sits on…
O’Malley: Another Vera Fight Wouldn’t Be A Rematch
During an interview with ESPN MMA’s Brett Okamoto, O’Malley discussed the prospect of entering the cage with Vera for a second time. According to the Ecuadorian, the Montana native actually turned down a rematch last year.
Although he believes Vera has now “earned” the right to face him again, O’Malley doesn’t think it would be a rematch. That’s because he’s effectively wiped the first meeting from the record in his mind. Citing the way that the fight ended and his injury as the reason for that, “Sugar” sarcastically noted that Vera hasn’t thrown a kick to the nerve since.
“I don’t really feel like it’s a rematch, I don’t think our fight really got to play out at all. He threw a kick, that he hasn’t thrown again. He hasn’t kicked anyone’s nerve again, I don’t know why he hasn’t been doing that,” O’Malley said. “So, I feel like our fight didn’t get to play out, to where it’s like, a rematch. If we fight, it’s gonna be the first time we fight.”
O’Malley went on to assess Vera’s improvements since they shared the cage in 2020. While he acknowledged that “Chito” has developed his skills, the #13-ranked bantamweight did provide a reminder about the Ecuadorian’s loss to José Aldo, as well as the fact he was likely down on the scorecards before a late knockout against Frankie Edgar.
“People are gonna think I’m a hater. I just — he lost to Aldo, he basically lost to Frankie, in my opinion, he was losing on the cards,” said O’Malley. “Lost to Frankie, throws a little kick, lands it. His performance against Rob (Font) was impressive. We all know he’s durable. He’s definitely improving in his skills when you watch him from fight to fight.
“I think he’s improving. He’s obviously improving with each performance. I don’t look at him as super — he’s just durable. He’s got good skills, and he’s getting better, but he’s just f*cking durable, he’s just stupid tough, and that’s dangerous.”
Should “Sugar” continue his rise up the 135-pound ladder, it seems that a second date with “Chito” is more than likely.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – AUGUST 14: (L-R) Opponents Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera of Ecuador face off during the UFC 252 weigh-in at UFC APEX on August 14, 2020 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC)
How do you think a rematch between Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera would play out?
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…
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.
PHOTO: ZUFFA
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?
On Saturday night, UFC Vegas 53 went down from inside the MMA leader’s home base, the APEX facility, in Nevada. Following in the footsteps of some of the top featherweights, welterweights, and women’s strawweights, the latest UFC Fight Night saw the bantamweights take center stage to close out the month of April. In a bout…
On Saturday night, UFC Vegas 53 went down from inside the MMA leader’s home base, the APEX facility, in Nevada.
Following in the footsteps of some of the top featherweights, welterweights, and women’s strawweights, the latest UFC Fight Night saw the bantamweights take center stage to close out the month of April.
Elsewhere on the card, the likes of former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, entertaining veteran Darren Elkins, rising lightweight Grant Dawson, and unbeaten behemoth Alexandr Romanov were all in action.
So, could UFC Vegas 53 send us into another pay-per-view fight week off the back of a memorable card? Let’s find out with the positives and negatives.
What is in the Las Vegas water lately? A fight day cancelation is always frustrating but at two events in a row? Get outta here.
Last weekend saw the return of undefeated heavyweight prospect Romanov and his bout with Chase Sherman pushed back a week after a number of fights had already taken place. This time, it was the turn of Carlos Candelario vs. Tatsuro Taira. While this one did at least come pre-event, it was still far from ideal.
This contest pitted two exciting newcomers together in what looked set to be a fast-paced flyweight bout. While Candelario, whose only defeat came on Dana White’s Contender Series last year, would’ve also been fun to watch, it was Taira who I, like most, had my eye on.
The Japanese 125lber boats a perfect 10-0 record and is still just 22 years of age, not to mention he’s riding a 19-fight win streak if his amateur results are taken into account. To lose the debut of such a promising fighter last minute was certainly a negative.
Thankfully, just as Romanov vs. Sherman was re-arranged for UFC Vegas 53, Candelaro vs. Taira is set to go down at the next UFC Fight Night on May 14, meaning that its initial cancelation will likely be a short-term negative.
Carlos Candelario vs. Tatsuro Taira is OFF of tonight's card and has been postponed to the May 14th card per the UFC.
There’s only so many times this can be listed as a negative before it simply becomes an expected part of the broadcast. At UFC Vegas 53, it took just two fights for one of the color commentators’ lack of grasp of the scoring criteria to shine through.
During the barnburner between Natan Levy and Mike Breeden (more on that soon), Jon Anik and Michael Bisping pondered whether the American had edged the second frame, which the Israeli had controlled more of but with little damage. In response, Cruz claimed that control time matters.
I’ll list below a quote from the criteria that shows why the former UFC bantamweight champion was wrong with his assessment.
“Successful execution of takedowns, submission attempts, reversals, and the achievement of advantageous positions that produce immediate or cumulative impact with the potential to contribute to the end of the match…”
The key words being, “contribute to the end of the match.”
Simply put, top and bottom fighters during grappling exchanges are scored based on the impactful nature of their actions, rather than the position itself. Control time does not fit into the equation if not effectively put to use.
MMA is an offensive sport and is all about pursuing a finish to the fight. Control time without submission attempts or impactful strikes is essentially meaningless when it comes to scoring a fight.
Dominick Cruz: "Control time does matter"
MMA scoring: Control time doesn't matter. #UFCVegas53
Cruz was at it again later in the night, suggesting that Jake Collier’s takedown with less than 10 seconds of the third round remaining, which resulted in about 5 seconds of top control and nothing else, is what ‘stole the round’ for him. *sigh*
Positive – An Early Back & Forth Brawl
After an entertaining fight for as long as it lasted between Gina Mazany and Shanna Young, the card’s strong start continued thanks to the efforts of Natan Levy and Mike Breeden.
For three rounds, the pair went at it hard, leaving everything inside the Octagon. Throughout the 15 minutes, both landed hard blows and had success in the grappling department.
The two lightweights were visibly exhausted after delivering an early Fight of the Night contender. In the end, it was the Israeli who had his hand raised via unanimous decision, but Breeden certainly did his stock no harm at UFC Vegas 53.
Add this bout to the list of reasons why fans should never sleep on preliminary cards…
“Gifted” Gabe Green. If by “gifted,” he means gifted with immense toughness and recovery ability, then absolutely.
Picking up where the previous fight left off, Green and Yohan Lainesse threw down in the third bout of the night. Early on, the Canadian’s power was on full show and looked set to be the difference.
If the first round didn’t already suggest that, the thunderous right hand that practically face-planted Green in the second certainly did. When he hit the ground, it seemed that the fat lady had her mic on. She eventually sang into it, but not before the Californian had recovered and finished the fight himself.
Towards the end of the second frame, Green unloaded with alternating shots to the head and body. Nothing is more frustrating than watching a fighter let their hurt opponent off the hook by throwing solely to the protected head.
On Saturday, Green showed exactly why digging into the open body can be so effective. After one particularly strong shot to the liver sat Lainesse down, some ground-and-pound forced referee Herb Dean to step in.
Impressive comeback, vicious finish, and a UFC Vegas 53 positive.
It’s hard to imagine a fighter branded as a favorite ever being able to do justice to odds as lopsided as -2500. But if I was to hazard a guess at how they’d do it, it’d go something like Alexandr Romanov’s performance at UFC Vegas 53.
In the space of just over two minutes, the Moldovan put a beating on his American counterpart that included takedowns, ground and pound, and a submission. Romanov’s first takedown came in less than 15 seconds. While Sherman may have grown in confidence after making his way back to his feet, that was quickly slammed out of him courtesy of a brutal suplex.
From there, it was relatively easy for “King Kong.” After advancing to full mount, he delivered some hard shots to “The Vanilla Gorilla” against the cage, before locking in an Americana for the tap.
The positive here isn’t the result — that was expected. It’s the fact that a serious prospect in the heavyweight division went out there and dispatched a lower-level opponent in as brutal a fashion as he needed to, enhancing his reputation as a name to watch. An additional contender is always a positive.
With that, a big fight should be next for him, and the name of #13-ranked Augusto Sakai certainly wasn’t a bad one for Romanov to call out during his time on the mic post-fight.
Was Darren Elkins vs. Tristan Connelly ever going to end any way other than with both men beaten and bloody? The term ‘as advertized’ was invented with these kind of matchups in mind.
When Elkins is in action, two things are promised: damage and blood. Courtesy of his aggressive strategy and the ability of fellow veteran Connelly to match him, that’s exactly what we got.
Ultimately, after some brutal exchanges and thunderous elbows, the pair fought to the final buzzer, soon after which Elkins was awarded the unanimous decision victory.
Not many people have sent a ‘re-sign me’ message quite like “The Damage” did on Saturday night. Give that man a new deal, Shelby!
Pre-UFC Joanderson Brito has arrived in the Octagon, and in some style. The one and only man to finish Andre Fili with strikes prior to UFC Vegas 53 was current #3-ranked featherweight contender Yair Rodriguez back in 2016. That is certainly not bad company for “Tubarão.”
It took less than a minute for Brito to close the contest. He did so in textbook fashion, probing with his sharp jab before flattening “Touchy” with a looping overhand right that twisted him into the 1996 Bill Paxton and Helen Hunt classic (Google might be needed for that one…).
Fili gave a valiant effort to recover, but after two more flash knockouts on the ground, Herb Dean had seen enough and the bout was over after just 41 seconds.
After a disappointing debut loss to Bill Algeo, this could well be the result that sets the 27-year-old Brazilian prospect on track for a fast rise up the 145-pound ladder.
If you’d expected a dull heavyweight slog in the UFC Vegas 53 co-main event, you were sorely mistaken.
Andrei Arlovski and Jake Collier threw hard for the duration and with a level of conditioning you wouldn’t expect from a 43-year-old and from a man of Collier’s size. After a tight three rounds, the former champ fell on the right side of a split decision.
While I did score the fight for Collier, calls of ‘robbery’ seem misplaced. Either way, however you scored the contest, no one can deny the toughness and durability of “The Pitbull.”
Remarkably, Arlovski is now on a four-fight win streak. Who’d have expected that sentence to make sense in the year 2022? With the victory, the veteran equaled Jim Miller and Donald Cerrone for the most wins in UFC history (23).
What a way to cap off a thoroughly entertaining card. As promised, Rob Font and Marlon Vera went to war in the Fight of the Night, proving exactly why the bantamweight division is regarded as one of, if not the, most entertaining weight classes in the world.
Towards the end of the second frame, Vera, who had seemingly been biding his time, joined the party, dropping his foe and threatening a finish. A fast and furious third stanza ended with the same aesthetic: Vera pummelling a downed Font.
In the fourth, a back kick to the head made it a trio of knockdowns from rounds 2-4. Once again, Font incredibly survived to reach his corner, although that was largely due to the Ecuadorian’s bizarre decision to give Font about 30 seconds on his back free of any offense.
Credit also has to go to Tyson Chartier, who asked his man if he was able to continue, something we don’t often see.
Despite his wobbly moments and multiple trips to the canvas, Font never stopped pushing forward and playing his part in an incredible headline clash. Ultimately, he was left pretty unrecognizable.
After 25 minutes, “Chito” was awarded a unanimous decision victory that will certainly mark his breakthrough into the elite at 135 pounds. Welcome to the main event winners’ circle, Marlon Vera.
Marlon Verla showed why he’s a future bantamweight title contender at UFC Vegas 53 tonight by defeating Rob Font in a contender for fight of the year. The unanimous decision victory was Vera’s third in succession, with the 29-year-old having previously defeated Davey Grant and Frankie Edgar last year. Font, meanwhile, is now on a…
Marlon Verla showed why he’s a future bantamweight title contender at UFC Vegas 53 tonight by defeating Rob Font in a contender for fight of the year.
The unanimous decision victory was Vera’s third in succession, with the 29-year-old having previously defeated Davey Grant and Frankie Edgar last year. Font, meanwhile, is now on a two-fight losing streak, having lost a decision to José Aldo in December.
The fast-paced main event bout saw both fighters exchange a high volume of strikes, with Font initially gaining the advantage. However, in round two, Vera sent Font sprawling to the canvas and almost finished him with ground and pound.
Font recovered in round three to take the advantage on the feet, but a huge knee from Vera knocked Font down and he was almost put away yet again. Font was sent to the canvas for a third time in round four thanks to a massive head kick from Vera. But the American made an admirable recovery in the final round, matching Vera on the feet before the Ecuadorian landed yet another head kick late on that seriously wobbled Font.
With this win over the #5-ranked bantamweight Font, we can expect the #8 ranked Vera to enter the division’s top five in the coming days.
You can catch all the highlights of the main event below.
Sean O’Malley makes headlines again, as he maps out his plan to a title shot in early 2023, stating highlight-reel finishes over Pedro Munhoz and Marlon Vera will elevate him to challenge for the bantamweight belt. Could two impressive victories set Sean O’Malley up to challenge for 135lb Gold? “Two more finishes — early 2023, […]
