A viral video featuring UFC bantamweight Marlon “Chito” Vera has been confirmed as a promotional skit, according to sources close to the situation.
The footage, which circulated widely on social media Friday morning, showed Vera working on his red truck in his driveway when an individual approached him with a knife in what appeared to be an attempted robbery. In response, Vera retrieved a shotgun from his vehicle, causing the apparent assailant to flee the scene.
While the video initially generated significant attention and concern from fans, it has since been revealed that the incident was staged. MMA Fighting’s Mike Heck confirmed the video’s nature as a marketing campaign for StreetX, a clothing brand. The shirt Vera is wearing in the footage is reportedly part of a new StreetX collection scheduled for release later this month.
Vera, who returns to action against Mario Bautista at UFC Des Moines on May 3, has experienced recent setbacks in his career, including a unanimous decision loss to Deiveson Figueiredo in August. This marks his third defeat in his last four appearances.
The staged nature of the video became apparent to many social media users, who pointed out various inconsistencies in the footage. The revelation adds this clip to a growing trend of viral marketing tactics within combat sports, drawing mixed reactions from fans and observers alike.
