Marlon “Chito” Vera is finally set to return to action more than a year since his last appearance in the UFC.
The one-time bantamweight title challenger is set to clash with surging contender Aiemann Zahabi at the upcoming UFC Vancouver show scheduled on Oct. 18 from the Rogers Arena in Canada. UFC officials announced the pairing on Thursday.
Vera hasn’t fought since he dropped a decision to Deiveson Figueiredo back in August 2024, which dropped his record to 1-3 over his past four fights. He also suffered a decision loss to Sean O’Malley in his attempt to become a UFC champion during that same run.
An injury stopped Vera from returning sooner when he had a fight booked at UFC 316 in June but it appears he’s healthy enough now to book his next matchup in the UFC.
As for Zahabi, the 37-year-old bantamweight is enjoying the best run of his career with six straight wins in the UFC while steadily climbing up the rankings. Back in May, Zahabi took a trip up to featherweight to face former champion Jose Aldo at UFC 315.
In the back-and-forth battle, Zahabi survived a near finish and then almost put Aldo away before winning a unanimous decision. Now Zahabi looks to add another well-respected veteran to his resume when he faces Vera in October.
The upcoming UFC Vancouver card still does not have a main event, although several bouts have been confirmed for the show including ex-title challenger Manon Fiorot taking on Jasmine Jasudavicius in a featured women’s flyweight fight.
