via Getty
LAS VEGAS – APRIL 17: Boxer Floyd Mayweather in a pre-fight a workout during the grand opening of Mayweather Boxing Club on April 17, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Floyd is preparing for his “The World Awaits” fight with Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007. (Photo by Bryan Haraway/Getty Images)
via Getty
LAS VEGAS – APRIL 17: Boxer Floyd Mayweather in a pre-fight a workout during the grand opening of Mayweather Boxing Club on April 17, 2007 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Floyd is preparing for his “The World Awaits” fight with Oscar De La Hoya on May 5, 2007. (Photo by Bryan Haraway/Getty Images)
Matchups in the world of combat sports can make or break a career. Fighters early on in their careers need to be trained smartly, otherwise, it can lead to their downfall. Having the right strategy and the right path is the most important aspect of the growth of a fighter.
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Many times in the world of MMA and UFC, fighters with less experience have to fight against much more experienced fighters, which mostly doesn’t end well. Joe Rogan and Marlon Vera discussed the topic in the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.
Had a great talk with @joerogan today. What an experience pic.twitter.com/bbUCoWbbVO
— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) December 15, 2021
While discussing Vera’s journey and how he used to get dominated in his gym by veterans, Rogan said, “It’s hard to get better when you’re getting f**ked up. One thing that Eddie Bravo told me early on, he’s like, train with blue belts. He goes cause you can tap them all the time, then you can get all these reps. Because if you train with black belts, you’re just defending and you’re getting tapped a lot… That’s the reason why boxing has a very smart strategy. They match you up carefully until they get you prepared for a world-class opponent and then eventually for a title fight.”
ALSO READ – ‘Like Kobe Bryant Said’- Marlon Vera Tells Joe Rogan How He Prepares His Fight Mentality
“The thing about the UFC is, they’ll throw guys to the wolves very early on, especially if you’re willing. There’s a bunch of different promoters in boxing. The whole key to make the most money is to get your fighter undefeated when he gets to the title shot. In the UFC, it’s like they get to make the call. If they call you up and they say, hey Marlon, we have a fight and it’s a championship level fighter. And you have four days’ notice, can you make weight? It happens all the time.”
Who’s next for Marlon Vera?
Vera, currently on a two-fight win streak, is coming off an impressive knockout victory over Frankie Edgar. After the win, ‘Chito’ climbed to the number 8 spot in the UFC bantamweight rankings. Now a top 10 fighter, Vera recently called out Jose Aldo for a rematch after his win over Rob Font.
The pair previously fought in December 2020, and Aldo won the fight via unanimous decision. However, as the former featherweight champion is looking for a title shot soon, it seems highly unlikely that he will be interested in this fight.
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Let’s do it again @josealdojunior be a man and take a 5 rounder with me
— C H🖕🏽T O🇪🇨V E R A (@chitoveraUFC) December 5, 2021
A rematch with Sean O’Malley can interest the UFC. Vera and ‘Suga’ fought last year, and ‘Chito’ came out on top after O’Malley suffered a lower leg injury in the first round.
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O’Malley is one of the most popular fighters in the world and a fight with the only opponent to ever beat him will bring in a lot of eyeballs. Who do you think Vera should fight next? Let us know in the comments!
