Who is Marlon Vera married to? Exploring 'Chito's' relationship status and more about personal life
Longtime UFC athlete Marlon Vera is on the cusp of ascending to the UFC bantamweight throne. 'Chito' is scheduled to face archrival, reigning UFC bantamweight champion 'Sugar' Sean O'Malley, for the latter's title in the headlining matchup of UFC 299 on March 9, 2024.
The Ecuadorian MMA stalwart bested O'Malley via first-round TKO in their first clash, which transpired at UFC 252 in August 2020. Their rematch, a title fight at UFC 299, would mark their second meeting inside the octagon. Ahead of his all-important bout, today, we take a look at an individual to whom Vera has often attributed his MMA success.
The person in question is none other than Maria Paulina Escobar. It's believed that 'Chito' Vera married fellow Ecuador native Maria over a decade ago. As for Vera's dating past, credible information concerning the same is currently unavailable in the public domain.
'Chito' Vera's relationship with his wife and children has been something he's largely kept private, except for posting photos and videos on social media. Nevertheless, in a 2016 interview with MMA Fighting, Vera did unravel some personal information. He highlighted that they'd welcomed their first child when he was 18 and Maria was 17.
As for Maria, she's a social media influencer who primarily posts fashion and lifestyle content. She boasts more than 137,000 followers on her Instagram handle.
Moreover, Maria, a devout Catholic, has three children. The couple's oldest child is their daughter, Ana Paula (born 2011). Their second child is their son, Jose Ignacio (born 2015). Their third child is a daughter named Eliana (born 2018).
The 31-year-old Marlon Vera has been vocal about his love for his family. In a video posted to the UFC's YouTube channel in 2023, 'Chito' notably harked back to the challenges he's overcome in recent years on the personal front.
His daughter, Ana Paula, was afflicted by a rare condition known as Moebius syndrome, which causes facial paralysis. The condition hampers mobility of the facial muscles, preventing patients from executing basic expressions such as smiling.
In 2018, Vera received donations via a GoFundMe page he set up for his daughter's surgery. Courtesy of the donations and other money he added to the cumulative sum for the medical treatment, Ana Paula subsequently underwent surgery for Moebius syndrome.
Watch Marlon Vera address the topic below (0:04):
Marlon 'Chito' Vera wife: Marlon Vera recalls how Maria Paulina Escobar's sacrifices led to his MMA glory
In an interview with Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports in 2022, Marlon Vera recalled when he left his wife and two children in Ecuador to pursue better training and fighting opportunities in the US. Before the birth of their third child, Vera shifted base to the States with just "six grand."
The UFC 299 headliner emphasized that his wife encouraged him to follow his heart and move to the US to help advance his MMA career. During his time in the US, Marlon Vera sent money back home occasionally but didn't achieve relative financial stability until recent years.
Speaking to Iole, 'Chito' indicated that a good woman can help a man scale tremendous heights of success, whereas a bad woman could destroy her partner. Lauding his wife, Vera said:
"She was able to stay with our two kids by herself and just wait for me."