UFC bantamweight Marlon “Chito” Vera has called out top-five contender José Aldo for a five-round rematch following the Brazilian’s victory over Rob Font this past weekend.
The pair first collided on a stacked UFC Vegas 17 card last December. At the time, Aldo was on a three-fight losing skid, having fallen to defeats against Alexander Volkanovski, Marlon Moraes, and Petr Yan. Vera, meanwhile, was riding high after becoming the first man to beat Sean O’Malley four months prior.
Across a competitive three rounds, Aldo had the edge and secured a unanimous decision victory. While he marked his first win at bantamweight, Vera fell short of breaking into contention.
Since their clash, both men have been in exceptional form. After avenging his previous loss to England’s Davey Grant in a Fight of the Night contest earlier this year, Vera faced former UFC Lightweight Champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 268 last month. Inside Madison Square Garden, “Chito” recorded a memorable highlight-reel knockout courtesy of a front kick.
For Aldo, two wins in 2021 against top contenders have seen him once again enter the title scene. First was a co-main event triumph over his compatriot Pedro Munhoz at UFC 265 in August. The former featherweight titleholder then extended his streak to three on Saturday with a commanding main event performance against Font, who many had tipped to fight for the title in 2022.
Vera Shoots His Shot
Despite their places in the rankings, which sees Vera narrowly outside the top 10 and Aldo firmly inside the top five, the Ecuadorian wants a second chapter with “Junior.”
Taking to Twitter in the aftermath of Aldo’s latest success, “Chito” challenged the Brazilian to a five-round headliner. As far as ambitious callouts go, this is certainly up there…
“Let’s do it again @josealdojunior be a man and take a 5 rounder with me.”
The chance of the rematch happening is slim, at least for now. Aldo firmly has his sights set on reaching the top of the food chain again, something a victory over Vera would not help to achieve.
While Vera will likely to have to re-adjust his target to the likes of Marlon Moraes and the loser of the upcoming Dominick Cruz vs. Pedro Munhoz clash, Aldo will be hoping to secure a title eliminator against former two-time bantamweight champ TJ Dillashaw.
Would you like to see Marlon Vera and José Aldo run it back down the line?
