Las Vegas, NV – After 25 minutes of brutality in the main event of UFC Vegas 53 bantamweight Marlon “Chito” Vera came away victorious after earning a unanimous decision over Rob Font.
Speaking to reporters in his post-fight media scrub Vera described what turned out to be th biggest fight of his career today.
“I feel great. I feel good in there. I just think everything that I’ve worked for my whole life, today, was like a result of that. I feel very composed in there. In that 4th and 5th round I felt like nothing was even happening. I picked him apart, I hurt him, and I was close to putting him out a couple times, but gotta be smart in there. Some people get too crazy when they hurt their opponent and then they gas out. You’ve got to be smart in the long run,” Vera said.
“I tried, but I’m happy with the performance. I’m happy with what I did to him specially….he was talking a little sh*t that he’s kind of too good and too technical. Now he see’s what’s up.”
Font missed weight coming in at 138.5, 2.5 pounds over the 136 allowance, yet Vera accepted the fight.
“It just told me how big the guy is for the division. Some 35ers should fight at 45, but seems like they don’t have the balls to do it. They know how to cut weight, and they don’t have any problem about it, but I do believe big weight cuts is just as equal as cheating. I’m a guy that keeps my weight at 52, 55, but it’s also because I’m training year round. If you’re not consistent enough it will catch up to you one day and we showed that tonight,” Vera said.
It seemed as though Font put together a good first round where he used his boxing to counter Vera’s kick-heavy attack. It did not hold for the entire fight once Vera got into a rhythm.
“The first round I was trying to see his speed and everything. I didn’t want to get too crazy. He was putting numbers together, but I think I was catching and seeing everything. I felt confident in there. I felt like if I didn’t adjust early it was because I was feeling confident. At the end of the day you’ve got to get always better. Next fight probably I’m going to do something different just start a little faster. It’s a process. Every time you get in there you learn the job,” said Vera.
Vera was able to hurt Font multiple times, but he didn’t exactly swarm him to finish the fight in the way we’ve seen others do before.
Vera stunned Font with a vicious knee 👀 #UFCVegas53 pic.twitter.com/TFANDwJz0s
— ESPN MMA (@espnmma) May 1, 2022
“He was doing a good job of going to the single when he was hurt. I have experience in there so I didn’t want to get too crazy trying to finish him. The couple elbows that were big to land….he’s going to have a headache tomorrow, and that shows in his face. I just picked him apart. I showed I can hurt him, but I showed I can be composed too. That’s a little more dangerous than the guy that just goes crazy and finish the guys. Sometimes you’re not able to finish the guy in there. I showed today that I can be calm and collected in those situations,” Vera said.
With the biggest win of his career secured Vera looked forward to what is next.
“I would love to fight Aldo again, and specially in a five-rounder. Just because he declined a five-rounder last December. I would love to kick his ass, and if we get to match again I will finish him,” Vera said.
“I can guarantee you that.”
Watch the full UFC Vegas 53 post-fight media appearance from Marlon “Chito” Vera above.
