Though losing to Jose Aldo was a tough pill to swallow, it ended up being a blessing in disguise for first-time title challenger Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.
On Saturday, March 9, Vera returns to the Octagon with the opportunity to bring home bantamweight gold as he runs back his 2020 clash with the reigning and defending 135-pound champ, ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley. Vera goes into the bout having won five of his last six, but it was a loss that has seemingly had the biggest impact on his success over the last few years.
After earning a first-round TKO victory over O’Malley, ‘Chito’ moved on to a clash with MMA legend Jose Aldo four months later. Vera was riding a wave of momentum going into the bout but had allowed his arrogance to get the best of him as their fight progressed. In the end, Vera lost a winnable matchup via unanimous decision, halting his momentum in its tracks.
“That loss hurt me so much because watching on TV is something but being in there, like the first round I was calculating, I was trying to figure out his speed, I was trying to see his body shots,” Vera said in an interview with Kevin Iole. “Second round, I’m 100 percent sure I won that round, and leaving the second round, at the end of the second round, he was so tired and overwhelmed.
“I remember his energy, he was like, ‘Oh, I’m going to lose again and then I’m done,’ and I got so cocky and arrogant and I make a childish mistake on just rushing around the cage and throwing a haymaker for no reason, I don’t even fight like that. That cost me the fight.”
He added, “Losing like that really hurt. I went to a dark place. I was hard on myself. It was depressing.”
Jose Aldo’s bodywork against Marlon Vera 🔥 pic.twitter.com/FQULAB6gII
— Kenny B 📟🏝 (@KennyBalii) August 12, 2022
‘Chito’ Calls Aldo Fight the ‘Best Loss’ of His Career
Though the loss felt like a dagger in the heart for some time, it appeared to have a positive impact on Vera going forward. He responded by winning four straight fights, including victories over Davey Grant, Frankie Edgar, Rob Font, and Dominick Cruz.
“That was a 1000 percent on me, I made the biggest mistake of my life but it was also the best mistake of my life because it taught me so much in the long run,” Vera added. “That’s why my career turned the way it turned because I was like you have to be cautious of everything at all times, it just taught me so many things.
“That loss I would say it could be the best loss of my career and I’m not a hater, why not against a legend like Jose Aldo.”
‘Chito’ has since added another win to his resume, besting Pedro Munzhoz at UFC 292 — the same night that Sean O’Malley KO’d Aljamain Sterling to claim the bantamweight championship. Their individual victories have now set the stage for a rematch nearly four years in the making, though this time, the stakes will be much higher.
Watch the full interview below:
