Athletes
Marlon Vera Is Ready For His Full-Circle Moment
The Fighting Pride Of Ecuador Made His Octagon Debut In Mexico City More Than A Decade Ago. Now He’s Back And Ready To Let The Leather Fly.
Former bantamweight title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera is all set to make the walk for his 26th UFC bout as he returns to the city where he stepped into the Octagon for his first.
“Chito” kicked off his Octagon career in Mexico City back at UFC 180, where he competed in the very first fight of the night – a unanimous decision loss to Marco Beltran. Now, in something of a full-circle moment, he’s back in the Mexican capital.
A lot has happened for Vera since that inauspicious start to his UFC career. Fifteen wins and one unsuccessful bantamweight title challenge have taken him from a budding prospect hoping to make his way in the sport to one of the division’s most dangerous contenders.
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Ahead of his fight this weekend, Vera sat down for a chat with UFC.com and shared his memories of his first UFC experience in Mexico City back in November 2014.
Marlon Vera | Top Finishes
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Marlon Vera | Top Finishes
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"It was mind blowing," he recalled. "I remember I cried walking out to the cage, just thinking about all the years that I dreamed about being here and achieving this goal. And when I was making the walk and full arena already for the first fight, it was very surreal.
"When they offered me this fight, I was so excited to come back here. And what better night to fight than (on a card) right under my friend, Brandon (Moreno), so I'm pretty stoked to be on this card."
Fast forward to present day, and Vera is looking to bounce back from a rough patch of form. Since his fourth-round knockout of former bantamweight champion and soon-to-be UFC Hall of Famer Dominick Cruz in August 2022, Vera has fought five times, winning just once.
That form has coincided with some mental struggles that he opened up about last year, as he revealed he was suffering from burnout.
Vera explained that the increased distractions that come your way as you reach the top level of the sport started to grind him down. But now he feels like he has a good handle on things and is ready to bounce back this weekend.
“When you do things for so long, it's like, sometimes, it doesn't become ‘just fighting’ at one point of your career,” he explained. “You have a lot of things that get in the way. You have a lot of distractions. Even if you're not the guy that drinks or parties, there's still business involved, and you start making money.
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“Dealing with all that stuff, and life itself, and still fighting high-level opponents – it's a mix that sometimes you know the parts you have to navigate through on your own.
"Luckily for me, I have a good circle. I have a good family and friends around me. So I feel like you always come through the other side, and even if I'm coming off a few losses, it's always sweeter when you're able to get back on the horse, get back up and get back in the win column.”
Saturday night sees Vera bid to return to winning ways when he takes on David Martinez. The Mexican has only fought twice in the UFC since winning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series, but his two victories over Saimon Oliveira and Rob Font already have him listed 10th in the rankings.
Martinez’s rapid ascent contrasts markedly with Vera’s long and winding road up the 135-pound division. “Chito” said he doesn’t harbor any animosity towards his opponent, but did say that the job of having to defend his ranking spot is one that gives him extra motivation this weekend.
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"That probably will make me fight a little harder and probably give me the motivation and the hunger to go and fight for what's mine," he said. "I've never looked past an opponent. It's just another hard fight in the division. He had a debut, like every other person, just fighting people outside the top 20. But then he got a quick call against former opponent of mine, Rob Font, who is a great fighter, and he beat him up pretty good.
“The road is different for everybody, right? It took me 15 fights to get to the top 15, and for other people, it's two fights. So, it plays out different for everybody.”
For Vera, it’s a chance to get back to winning ways against a fighter who has been tipped for big things in the bantamweight division.
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His plan? Drag him into the trenches and make him pay.
"Just get in his face, make it ugly, and do everything in my power to make a hole in his face,” he said.
UFC Fight Night: Moreno vs Kavanagh took place live from Arena CDMX in Mexico City on February 28, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!