Marlon Vera stands at the brink of UFC glory as he prepares for his first shot at UFC gold. Reflecting on a pivotal moment in his MMA journey, ‘Chito’ revisited his memorable bout against Jose Aldo, one of the most notable defeats he faced.
Back in December 2020 at UFC Vegas 17, Vera stepped into the octagon against MMA legend and former UFC featherweight champion Jose Aldo. Despite Vera’s efforts, Aldo emerged victorious via unanimous decision.
Following that setback, Vera rebounded impressively, securing victories in five out of his six subsequent octagon appearances. Among them, his only defeat was a split decision loss against Cory Sandhagen.
In a conversation with Kevin Iole, ‘Chito’ delved into the Aldo loss, acknowledging the profound impact it had on him. Vera recounted how the defeat left him hurting deeply, pushing him to confront his own limitations.
Reflecting on the match, Vera admitted to tactical errors, particularly in the third round, where he allowed overconfidence to cloud his judgment.
However, despite the initial disappointment, Vera emphasized the valuable lessons he gleaned from the experience. He credited Aldo for teaching him important insights about the sport and his own approach to it.
Vera expressed gratitude for the tough lesson, acknowledging that while the loss was painful, it ultimately served as a catalyst for his growth and evolution as a fighter.
“Losing like that really hurt… I went to a dark place. I was hard on myself. It was depressing… That was 1,001 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 shared.
“That’s why you saw my career 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,” he concluded.
