Marlon “Chito” Vera is looking to bounce back into the win column after his UFC bantamweight title fight last year.
Sources familiar with the promotion have confirmed that Vera will face the fast-rising contender Mario Bautista at UFC Des Moines. The event is scheduled for May 3rd at the Wells Fargo Center in Iowa.
This will be Vera’s first fight in 2025, following a challenging 2024 where he didn’t secure a victory. In March, Vera fought Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title at UFC 299 but lost by decision. He then faced former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo in August at UFC Abu Dhabi and suffered another decision loss.
Bautista enters this significant matchup riding a wave of success with a seven-fight winning streak. In his latest appearance, Bautista, representing MMA Lab, secured a controversial split decision victory over former two-time featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 307 in October.
