Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen Set For February 18th, 2023
The UFC has announced a top 5 matchup at Bantamweight between Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera and Cory Sandhagen on February 18th which will serve as the main event at the Apex in Las Vegas.
This fight takes place in the Bantamweight (135 lbs) division.
Marlon Vera holds a professional record of 22-7-1 (14-6 UFC) and is currently ranked #4. His notable wins include Sean O’Malley, Frankie Edgar, and Rob Font.
Cory Sandhagen holds a professional record of 15-4-0 (8-3 UFC) and is currently ranked #5. His notable wins include Frankie Edgar, Marlon Moraes, and Song Yadong.
Current odds: Cory Sandhagen -195, Marlon Vera +175.
Marlon Vera is 10-2 in his last 12 fights in the UFC and is on the biggest hot streak of his career. He began the current 4-fight winning spree against his former rival Davey Grant. His last fight against Dominick Cruz earned him Knockout of The Year nominations with his brutal 4th-round head kick KO over the legend. He holds some amazing stats in the UFC, being 1 of only 3 fighters with 20+ fights to have never been knocked down. The only other 2 are Max Holloway and Jon Jones. Alongside that impressive accolade, he has the most finishes in UFC Bantamweight history, with 11.
Cory Sandhagen got back on track against Song Yadong last fight after a pair of decision losses to TJ Dillashaw and Petr Yan. It’s worthy of note that his only losses in the UFC are to current or former champions, his 3rd being to the sitting Bantamweight champ Aljamain Sterling. Sandhagen’s fights feel like highlights from the moment they start. He always brings it and shows off a flashy arsenal of flying knees and spinning attacks. He showcased all of them in his last fight en route to a 4th-round TKO win via doctor’s stoppage.
With a murky title picture and unclear #1 contender, this fight could have major implications on the division’s future.
Here’s the currently announced full card:
Bantamweight: Marlon Vera vs. Cory Sandhagen
Flyweight: Taila Santos vs. Erin Blanchfield
Light Heavyweight: Ovince Saint-Pruex vs. Philipe Lins
Bantamweight: Lina Lansberg vs. Mayra Bueno Silva
Light Heavyweight: William Knight vs. Marcin Prachnio
Lightweight: Jim Miller vs. Gabriel Benitez
Middleweight: Abus Magomedov vs. Gerald Meerschaert
Lightweight: Joe Solecki vs. Benoit Saint Denis
Flyweight: Juancamilo Ronderos vs. Clayton Carpenter
Welterweight: Billy Goff vs. Themba Gorimbo
Lightweight: Nazim Sadykhov vs. Evan Elder
We’re interested in hearing from the Verdict Community, so let us know your predictions in the comments below!
