Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera is pretty well-known for his performance in the world of mixed martial arts. But as he removes his shirt and enters the Octagon, it’s the tattoos that steal the show before Vera displays his fighting prowess against his opponents. Needless to say, the tattoo on his back is something that has continued to garner quite a bit of attention from the fight fans.

Is the tattoo on his back the only masterpiece Vera has inked on his body? You’d be wrong if you thought so. But first, let’s talk a bit about his back tattoo.

Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera’s new back tattoo

Marlon Vera had a back tattoo done in 2023 by the famous tattoo artist Mr. Cartoon, who has inked the likes of Eminem. The tattoo ran throughout the entire length of his back and had symbolism that was near and dear to his heart. It has a rooster as the centerpiece, which represents Vera as a fighter, as well as his childhood memory of going to cock-fights. His hometown of Chone is a significant motif in the piece, with a sign saying “Welcome To Chone” adorning the top of his back and orange trees, a distinct feature of the Ecuadorian town spread throughout the tattoo.

The tattoo has a clown mask, a Mr. Cartoon specialty, to represent his wilder side and a woman behind the clown. This scene is framed within beautiful clouds and light streaming through them, which gives it a lively and dynamic feel. While this may be ‘Chito’s favorite tattoo, he has other memorable inks.

Talking about the tattoo during his appearance on Ariel Helwani’s ‘The MMA Hour’, Vera raised the tattoo artist really high. He said, “He tattooed some pretty heavy names back in the day. Not just big names, big names at their prime. Eminem, when he was blowing up in the whole entire world, Mr. Cartoon did his tattoos. Eminem would say in interviews, ‘I only get tattoo’d by Cartoon because you can’t afford it.’ He would say that in a video to the world and I’m like, ‘Holy s***, that guy did my whole entire back.’”

What about the Ecuadorean fighter’s other tattoos? Let’s get right into it!

Marlon Vera’s unique head tattoo

‘Chito’ has a tattoo of a black panther with green eyes and yellow claws on the back of his head, which he had done last year. In an interview with ESPN, Vera admitted that he wasn’t sure what tattoo he would get when he entered the tattoo parlor, except for the location of the tattoo.

“There’s no meaning, but at the same time there’s a lot of meaning. For me, it’s like you go to a tattoo shop, you have no idea what you’re going to get. You just trust your friends and the tattoo artist. … When I got there last night, I had no idea what I wanted,” Vera said, whose enthusiasm for tattoos has seen him get a few other prominent tattoos.

Other tattoos of Sean O’Malley’s UFC 299 opponent

Vera had the chance to fight for the bantamweight championship belt against Sean O’Malley at UFC 299. Unfortunately, he lost the bout via a unanimous decision. As sad as it was for the fans of Vera, they could not divert their eyes from his other tattoos.

The #4 ranked bantamweight has the words “CHITO VERA” inked in stylized fonts on his chest on a background of roses and foliage adorned with clown masks as well as the name “Anapaula.” There is also another illegible name done in a similar font to his moniker in the center of his chest.

On his midsection, the Ecuadorian has a portrait of the Virgin Mary, a symbol of his commitment to his Christian faith. His left bicep is adorned with Cantonese or Mandarin letters and a rose adjoining it. His left elbow features a spiderweb, while his wrists and forearm have a bunch of roses on them.

As he gets ready to fight Deiveson Figueiredo at UFC on ABC 7, his tattoos might just play the role of intimidating his opponent before he enters the Octagon. Do you think Vera can rise victorious in his upcoming bout? What are your views on his tattoos? Let us know in the comments below.