Vera KO's Cruz to solidify himself in the bantamweight picture

Marlon 'Chito' Vera showed everyone on Saturday night that he should be taken seriously in the title talk by viciously knocking out former two time bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz, becoming the first man to do so (Henry Cejudo TKO'd him in May 2020). Vera has had an entertaining rise to the top 5, giving us wars against Davey Grant and Rob Font, whilst also brutally finishing legends like Frankie Edgar and Cruz. We musn't forget that first round finish of Sean O'Malley either. Although there are fights scheduled to happen like O'Malley vs Petr Yan and the champion Aljamain Sterling set to fight TJ Dillashaw, Chito Vera has most definitely stated his case for a number one contender shot at least. There is also Jose Aldo squaring off against Merab Dvalishvili at UFC 278 this weekend. If you don't remember, Aldo beat Vera by unanimous decision in December 2020. Perhaps a rematch might be down the line once again to determine who is next line for a title shot. The fight itself was a tale of two stories, Marlon was landing the harder shots, knocking down Cruz on multiple occasions, but the former champion was a lot more active with his shots, plenty of volume. Going into the fourth round, all three judges had it 29-28 Cruz, but that didn't concern Vera. Throughout the fight, Chito remain relaxed and not in the slightest bit worried or doubtful about the fight not going his way. His composure and reads of Cruz proved successful, with a brutal left roundhouse kick being all that was needed to end the fight. It's common for fighters to become overwhelmed and exhausted by Cruz's awkwardly unique style. but Vera bided his time and eventually grew into the fight, by the third he looked ready to take control and change the course of the fight. And by God did he change the fight. Cruz had a tendency of dipping to the right when circling and evading. Chito and his team clearly identified this vulnerability, it was timed to perfection, sending Cruz crashing to the canvas in an unconscious mess. A patient and composed performance from the Ecuadorian, perhaps he could have shown a bit more intention early on in the fight, but nevertheless an impressive finish against a difficult opponent in Dominick Cruz.

As for Cruz himself, it looks like the end of his title charge, At 37, retirement is near, he certainly has a couple, maybe three fights left before he should call it a day. With Frankie Edgar retiring after his final fight, should that be the fight that's made next?

With a big PPV card this weekend, expect a couple of posts surrounding the event.