Photo – Marlon Vera inks new back tattoo ahead of UFC Vegas 69 headliner with Cory Sandhagen

Ahead of his upcoming UFC Vegas 69 main event clash with fellow bantamweight contender, surging division challenger, Marlon Vera has detailed a stunning new back piece tattoo – inked by the world-renowned artist, Mister Cartoon. 

Vera, who currently boasts the #5 rank in the official bantamweight pile, is slated to headline UFC Vegas 69 on February 18. next – tackling fellow division contender, Cory Sandhagen in a potential title-eliminator at 135lbs.

In the midst of an impressive run of four-fight winning run, Chone native, Marlon Vera will make his first Octagon walk since he headlined UFC Fight Night San Diego back in August of last year – earning a Performance of the Night bonus off the back of a fourth round high kick KO win over former undisputed champion, Dominick Cruz.

Marlon Vera tackles Cory Sandhagen next month in ‘Sin City’

Matching with Colorado tactician, Sandhagen, Vera will be tasked with returning the Eliot Marshall mainstay to the losing enclosure, following a prior, dominant doctor’s stoppage win over Song Yadong back in September at the UFC Apex facility.

Getting some new ink ahead of his Octagon comeback against Sandhagen in February, Ecuadorian fan-favorite, Vera shared his experience with iconic tattoo artist, Mister Cartoon.

“He tattooed some pretty heavy names back in the day,” Marlon Vera said on The MMA Hour. “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 sh*t, that guy did my whole entire back.’” 

“It’s a big rooster in the middle that represents the fighting and me growing up going to rooster fights with my grandfather when I was a little kid, and my father,” Marlon Vera explained. “The crazy environment I got to live in. There’s a sign of the town I was born, which is Chone, it says, ‘Welcome to Chone.’ There’s orange trees because it’s called the ‘City of Orange’ where I was born because there’s orange trees everywhere, and there’s a road that goes around my lower back and then you start seeing buildings, a clown mask – which is Cartoon’s speciality – and a oman behind the clown.”

“The clown part is me doing all the crazy sh*t to be where I am,” Vera continued. “The woman in the back is the lady that pushed me to be man I am today. It’s little things like that, and there’s a sign up the street of the first house I bought.”

“Then he just put clouds and lights around the whole thing, that’s kind of what he’s famous for,” Vera said. “Those beautiful f*cking lights coming down, clouds and sh*t. I love it. Ten out of ten back piece.”