Marlon Vera may have returned ‘too quick’ from Sean O’Malley loss

Marlon Vera can’t help but wonder if he made the wrong call in fighting Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ABC 7.

Many people in the MMA community were surprised when Vera (21-10-1 MMA, 15-9 UFC) made a turnaround less than five months from his unanimous decision loss to Sean O’Malley in their bantamweight title fight at UFC 299 in March. “Chito” took a lot of damage in the contest, but insisted prior to stepping into the octagon with Figueiredo on Saturday at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, that he had fully recovered.

Only he knows what’s true for sure, but the reality is Vera was knocked down for the first time in his 24-fight UFC career in the third round against Figueiredo, raising speculation about whether his durability has changed. It appears Vera is thinking about all these same questions, and said in the aftermath of the unanimous decision loss that he now intends to take a more extended layoff.

Vera issued a statement on social media addressing the loss and what comes next (via Instagram):

I fail at myself last nite. I thought I was ready I felt good in the gym but at the end maybe I come back too quick after a hard tittle fight. Life doesn’t end here I still dream about big things I just need time to let go and reset. Gracias Abu Dhabi por el cariño a mi familia por estar siempre a mi lado y Ecuador gracias siempre me levantaré como lo he hecho en el pasado. Shukrahn Abu Dhabi ❤️ I’ll be back re born

With the defeat, Vera is now on his first two-fight losing skid since 2018. The last time he was in that position, he got back on track with a five-five winning streak, all of which came by stoppage.

At 31, Vera will attempt o bounce back with a similar run following his break to “reset.”

For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC on ABC 7.