LAS VEGAS – Jason Parillo has the utmost confidence Marlon Vera will emerge as a title contender in 2022.
Vera (20-7-1 MMA, 12-6 UFC) scored the biggest win of his career when he knocked out former lightweight champion Frankie Edgar at UFC 268 and his highlight-reel finish landed him in the promotion’s top 10 bantamweight rankings.
Having finished seven of his past eight wins, including a TKO of formerly unbeaten Sean O’Malley, Vera is looking to break into title contention and Parillo has no doubt he will by next year.
“One hundred percent, I f*cking love it,” Parillo told MMA Junkie. “I like that he’s in the shadows. ‘Chito’ Vera, I tried to get him to come out here (to the World MMA Awards). You know where he is? He’s working. That’s what he does. I see the kid every f*cking day of my life. The kid’s a f*cking workhorse. He’s hungry, he’s intelligent and he knows this sport more than all of us. I really have very high hopes and confidence in ‘Chito’ Vera.”
After stopping Edgar, Vera called for a rematch against former featherweight king Jose Aldo (31-7 MMA, 13-6 UFC). Vera lost a unanimous decision to Aldo in December 2020, but “Chito” wants to go five rounds with “The King of Rio,” who turned back the clock in an impressive win over Rob Font in his past outing at UFC on ESPN 31.
