Marlon Vera is seemingly set for a showdown with a stylistically challenging opponent in his Octagon return.
On Wednesday, MMA journalist Marcel Dorff reported on X that former UFC bantamweight title challenger Marlon Vera is set to clash with Mario Bautista at a UFC Fight Night event on May 3 in Des Moines, Iowa.
The fight announcement was first revealed by MMA content creator Tuck, who claimed that the matchup would serve as the co-main event for the card.
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"Chito" is looking to bounce back after a one-sided unanimous decision loss to former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Abu Dhabi in August 2024. The defeat marked his second consecutive setback, following a decision loss to Sean O'Malley in their rematch at UFC 299 in March, where he fell short in his bid for the 135-pound title.
The 32-year-old Ecuadorian was riding the momentum of a four-fight win streak before his run came to a halt against Cory Sandhagen in March 2023. Since then, he has managed just one victory — a unanimous decision over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292. Vera now finds himself at 6-5 in his last 11 outings.
Meanwhile, Bautista is riding the wave of a seven-fight win streak. He was last seen in action at UFC 307 this past October, where he secured a hard-fought split decision victory over UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo. The 31-year-old American hasn't tasted defeat since March 2021, when he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Trevin Jones at UFC 259.
UFC Des Moines is set to be headlined by a pivotal bantamweight showdown between Sandhagen and Figueiredo. However, while the card is shaping up to be a potential must-watch event, the promotion has yet to announce the official venue.