It appears we have the return of no. 4 ranked UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera on tap, as he’s just been scheduled to headline UFC Vegas 69 against no. 5 ranked Cory Sandhagen.
UFC Vegas 69 is to go down on February 18, 2023, live from the UFC Apex in Enterprise, Nevada.
Ecuadorian talent Marlon Vera has been on a serious streak as of late, going 10-2 over his last 12 outings, as he comes into this bout on a four-fight win streak. Many believe he should be 11-1 in his last 12 as well, considering his unanimous decision defeat to Song Yadong was heavily disputed.
Nonetheless, following that defeat, he’d TKO Sean O’Malley, before losing to former featherweight champion Jose Aldo.
Since then however, Vera has defeated the likes of Davey Grant (UD) in their rematch to avenge his second promotional defeat, Frankie Edgar (KO), Rob Font (UD), and former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz (KO).
Then we have Cory Sandhagen, a Colorado native that comes in having gone 3-3 over his last six, following a 5-0 start to his UFC tenure, though, like Vera, many believe he should be 4-2 in that time.
The fourth and fifth victories of Sandhagen’s UFC career came over longtime bantamweight staple Raphael Assuncao (UD) and current ONE bantamweight champion John Lineker (SD), before he was defeated by current UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling (RNC).
Sandhagen then knocked out both Marlon Moraes (TKO) and Frankie Edgar (KO), before losing back-to-back bouts to former champions Petr Yan (UD) in their interim title clash, and then TJ Dillashaw (SD), the latter being quite a controversial outcome.
Sandhagen would follow up those defeats with a doctor stoppage TKO victory over Song Yadong himself back in September.
Who do you see walking away from UFC Vegas 69’s main event the victor, Marlon Vera, or Cory Sandhagen?
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