Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera has a fairly unique view on extreme weight cutting among professional athletes. UFC bantamweight contender believes that making a big weight cut is equivalent to cheating.
Marlon Vera just had his first bout in 2022. The Ecuadorian headlined UFC on ESPN 35 with Rob Font. The two clashed for five rounds and Vera was announced as the winner via unanimous decision.
At the press conference, Marlon Vera was being asked about Rob Font who missed weight prior to their bout. Font weighed 138.5 pounds and had to forfeit 20% of his purse.
“It just told me how big the guy is for the division. Some ’35ers should fight at ’45, but it seems like they don’t have the balls to do it, you know? They know how to cut weight … I don’t have any problem about it, but I do believe big weight cuts … it’s just as equal as cheating.” Vera said.
Marlon Vera implied that professional fighters should compete at the division that is closest to their natural weight. He also advised fighters to maintain their weight even when there is no upcoming bout.
“You know, I’m a guy who keeps my weight at ’52, ’55. But it’s also because I’m training year-round. So, if you’re not consistent enough, it will catch up to you one day and we saw that tonight.” Vera added.
With his recent victory against Rob Font, Vera marked his third consecutive win. The previous fights were against Frankie Edgar and Davey Grant. Meanwhile, Rob Font is suffering another defeat since losing to Jose Aldo last December.