The big pay-per-view showdown between top bantamweights Ecuadorian Marlon Vera and American Cory Sandhagen will be the main event of ESPN 43, scheduled for the night of March 25-26 in Texas. The fight is planned for 00:00 UK time.
Is a win for Vera possible? The Ecuadorian has improved his grappling skills significantly in recent times, thus preventing his opponents from rolling him around in the octagon. In the rack, however, the 30-year-old ‘Cheeto’ is unlikely to stand much of a chance against the loaded American. Consequently, Marlon’s gameplan must be built around fighting
The 30-year-old Ecuadorian Marlon ‘’Chito’’ Vera’s career is somewhat similar to that of Charles Oliveira. The fighter got into the organization at a young age, and it wasn’t until dozens of fights later that he came to the forefront of the UFC. Vera is considered a true workaholic. The Ecuadorian has no innate talent, anthropometric data or unique technique. However, the hard work and hundreds of hours spent in the gym have earned him a place in the top five in the world according to the UFC.
In his last fights, Vera destroyed his opponents, sometimes not even putting out the best of them. Although there are no big names among Marlon’s scalps, he is methodically climbing to the top.
Over the past two years, Cheeto has dealt with Davey Grant, Frankie Edgar, Rob Font and Dominic Cruz. Two of them were eliminated early on. It is highly likely that success in the Vera-Sandhagen clash will allow the Ecuadorian to reach the title soon.
Top MMA fighter Cory “The Sandman” Sandhagen has managed to fight some of the most dangerous opponents in his weight class in the four years since his UFC debut, including former and current champion Peter yan and Aljamain Sterling.
Sandhagen’s five-match winning streak was interrupted by reigning champion Aljamein Sterling, who managed to go behind his back and deliver a final choke in seconds.
Sandhagen then got together with TJ Dillashaw, who returned from a two-year suspension. Putting aside a few reversals as the encounter progressed, the bout proved pretty close. Unfortunately for Cory, the judges were favourable to TJ. The next bout with Petr Yan went similarly. However, the Siberian was more active in the beginning, although he failed in the end.
Age – 30;
Height – 1.73;
Weight – 61;
Reach – 1.79;
Stance – Orthodox;
Statistics – 20-7-1;
Wins – 8 Knockouts, 8 Submissions, 4 Decisions;
Losses – 0 Knockouts, 0 Submissions, 7 Decisions.
Age – 30;
Height – 1.80;
Weight – 61;
Reach – 1.77;
Stance – Orthodox;
Statistics – 14-4-0;
Wins – 7 Knockouts, 3 Submissions, 5 Decisions;
Losses – 0 Knockouts, 1 Submission, 3 Decisions.
Where will this fixture be played?
The event will take place at AT&T Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA.
Which bookmaker has the best odds for this game?
We recommend checking out the odds for the UFC on ESPN: Vera vs. Sandhagen: Marlon Vera vs Cory Sandhagen at 1xBet.