Marlon Vera issues statement on UFC Abu Dhabi loss to Deiveson Figueiredo: "I'll be back reborn"
Marlon Vera has released a statement following his loss to Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC Abu Dhabi this past weekend. Vera was looking to return to winning ways after his loss to reigning bantamweight champion Sean O'Malley earlier this year, but failed to do so, with Figueiredo coming away with a decision win.
Vera is now on his first two-fight skid since 2018 and will need a string of victories to return to title contention. Following the loss, he took to social media to address his fans. The Ecuadorian cited how he perhaps should've taken more time off after his defeat to O'Malley. Vowing to "reset" and return stronger, 'Chito' wrote:
''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... I’ll be back re born''
Notably, Vera was dropped for the first time in his UFC career in his bout against Figueiredo. Additionally, he started slow yet again and found himself playing catch-up in the second and third rounds.
Deiveson Figueiredo wants a title shot following his win over Marlon Vera
Deiveson Figueiredo is currently on a three-fight winning streak since moving up to the bantamweight division. Figueiredo recently defeated Marlon Vera at UFC Abu Dhabi and subsequently called out the winner of Sean O'Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili, the upcoming bantamweight title fight that will headline Noche UFC on Sep. 14.
During a post-fight interview with ESPN MMA, the former two-time flyweight champion expressed his desire to fight for UFC bantamweight gold next, saying:
''I think it’s going to be an insane fight. We’ve got O’Malley, who’s a great striker, and we’ve got Merab, who’s a grappler. I want to fight whoever wins the belt because I want my fight for the belt.”
Check out Deiveson Figueiredo's comments below (2:26):
While Figueiredo has been impressive since his move up to 135 pounds, he isn't next in line for a championship opportunity. Umar Nurmagomedov, who defeated interim title challenger Cory Sandhagen in the UFC Abu Dhabi main event, will likely be next for the winner of O'Malley vs. Dvalishvili.