Thomas Almeida vs. Marlon Vera is the latest addition to the quickly growing UFC 235 card this March.
Another addition to UFC 235 is official. On Friday, the UFC announced via social media that bantamweights Thomas Almeida and Marlon Vera would face off at the March event. For Almeida, it’s a chance to get back on track, while Vera will be looking to extend the winning streak he began in August.
O brasileiro @ThomasalmeidaCB 🇧🇷 volta ao octógono para enfrentar @chitoveraUFC no #UFC235, dia 2 de março, em Las Vegas
— UFC Brasil (@UFCBrasil) January 11, 2019
Vera (12–5–1), who joined the UFC in 2014, has won two straight, starting with his August TKO of Wuliji Buren at UFC 227. He followed that up with a submission of Guido Cannetti at UFC Argentina in November. Overall, the 26-year old Ecuadorian is 6-4 in his UFC tenure to date.
Almeida (21–3) has been on an opposite trajectory of late, losing two straight, and three of his last four. Those struggles, however, have come against some of the top competition in the UFC’s 135lb division. Almeida has dropped fights to Cody Garbrandt, Jimmie Rivera, and Rob Font since 2016. His lone win came against Albert Morales at UFC Fight Night 100 in November 2016.
The Brazilian, however, has not fought since January 2018. He had been scheduled to face Cory Sandhagen at UFC Brooklyn. However, Sandhagen wound up paired up with John Lineker in place of Dominick Cruz, while Almeida apparently wasn’t cleared by the NYAC and wound up off the card.
UFC 235 takes place March 2 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. Jon Jones vs. Anthony Smith is expected to serve as the main event.
