After the highs of UFC 286 in London, the promotion will once again host another event in front of fans this weekend. Although it is not a major PPV, the event will see elite bantamweights, Marlon Vera and Cory Sandhagen in a 5-round barnburner. The event, dubbed simply as “UFC San Antonio,” takes place on March 25, 2023.
Marlon Vera is one of the most overlooked fighters in the 135 lbs division. Although he has a win over Sean O’Malley, Vera is yet to have a blockbuster fight since then. However, he has slowly stacked up wins against veterans like Frankie Edgar and Dominick Cruz. Currently, Marlon “Chito” Vera occupies the 3rd rank in the weight class.
On stage for the final face off 🔥
DO NOT miss @ChitoVeraUFC and @CorySandhagen tomorrow at #UFCSanAntonio!
[ Prelims 4:30pmET | Main Card 7pmET | LIVE on @ESPN ] pic.twitter.com/ZvqRZM27zU
— UFC (@ufc) March 25, 2023
Cory Sandhagen, on the other hand, burst onto the scenes and became an instant sensation. After beating Austin Arnett and Iuri Alcântara in his first two UFC fights, Sandhagen beat Mario Bautista, John Lineker, and Raphael Assuncao in his next 3 bouts. He headed into a bout against Aljamain Sterling at UFC 250 with an unbeaten record of 5-0.
However, he suffered a shocking defeat against Aljo in under 1 minute and 30 seconds. Sandhagen’s career was back to track in his very next bout, as he knocked out Marlon Moraes and Frankie Edgar. However, he lost to TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan back-to-back in two very close bouts. The Yan bout was for the interim belt and that loss meant that he missed out on the opportunity to rematch Sterling. In his last bout, Sandhagen beat Song Yadong via stoppage.
UFC San Antonio: Marlon Vera vs Cory Sandhagen, Stats
| Stats | Marlon Vera | Cory Sandhagen |
|---|---|---|
| Wins | 20 | 15 |
| Losses | 7 | 4 |
| Height | 1.73 m | 1.8 m |
| Division | Bantamweight | Bantamweight |
| Reach | 179.1 cm | 177.8 cm |
| Age | 30 | 30 |
Vera vs Sandhagen: Fight Breakdown
Cory Sandhagen has a UFC record of 8-3 and an MMA record of 15-4. As per UFC stats, Cory Sandhagen is one of the most active fighters in the Octagon. He currently averages 6.15 strikes per minute and 0.71 takedowns per bout. Once the bout hits the ground, he also averages 0.4 submissions per fight as well. In terms of his finishing stats, Sandhagen has 7 KO wins, 3 submissions, and 5 decision wins.
Marlon Vera has an MMA record of 20 wins, 7 losses, and 1 no-contest. However, since joining the UFC, Vera has won 14 wins and 6 losses. He has 8 KOs, 8 submissions, and 4 decision wins. As per UFC stats, Vera is much less active than Cory Sandhagen. He lands 4.28 strikes per minute and 0.68 takedowns per fight. However, he also absorbs 5.01 strikes per minute as well. But with 0 KO losses, Vera certainly has a great chin.
The bout is most likely a classic match-up between a striker and a counter striker. While Sandhagen would certainly push the pace on Vera, Chito would be on the prowl to land something meaningful on the break. Vera is certainly more powerful than Sandhagen, who relies more on volume punching.
Fans are not likely to see much grappling in this contest. Neither Marlon Vera nor Cory Sandhagen rely on takedowns and grappling. Hence, fans who like to watch brawls, are in for a treat this Saturday. While the momentum is behind Vera, Sandhagen is more agile and has the height advantage. It is certainly going to be a very closely contested bout, but Vera will be the slight favorite on the night.
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