UFC fan favorite set to try and end losing streak in dangerous UFC Mexico fight

Former title challenger Marlon “Chito” Vera will reportedly try to halt his current losing run when he faces David Martinez at UFC Mexico.

Scheduled to take place at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on February 28, UFC Mexico is headlined by a pivotal flyweight bout between the division’s former two-time champion Brandon Moreno and #7-ranked contender Asu Almabayev.

The card has added a number of fights in recent weeks, and Marcel Dorff reports that the event will feature an important bantamweight scrap between top-ranked fighters Vera and Martinez.

"Chito" Vera Enters 2026 After Third-Straight Loss

Currently sitting at #8 in the official UFC bantamweight rankings, Vera finds himself at a difficult moment of his career after suffering three-straight losses dating back to early 2024.

After joining the promotion through Season 1 of The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America, “Chito” found his first major success in the UFC with a five-fight win streak where he finished every opponent he faced. The Ecuadorian famously handed Sean O’Malley they first loss of his MMA career in 2020, and the following year he kicked off what became a four-fight win streak that earned him four-straight post-fight bonuses.

Marlon Vera (red gloves) fights Aiemann Zahabi (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Rogers Arena. | Simon Fearn-Imagn Images

Vera challenged O’Malley for the bantamweight belt at UFC 299 but lost a unanimous decision in their rematch, and the 33-year-old is now on a three-fight skid after he also dropped decisions to Deiveson Figueiredo and Aiemann Zahabi.

David Martinez Gets Huge Matchup In Home Country

One of the UFC’s breakout stars last year, Martinez punched his ticket to the promotion when he took a unanimous decision over the previously-undefeated Xavier Franklin on the 2024 edition of Dana White’s Contender Series.

Entering his UFC debut on a seven-fight win streak, Martinez made an immediate statement with a first-round knockout of Saimon Oliveira that earned the 27-year-old a “Performance of the Night” bonus. “Black” was matched up with two different opponents at last year’s Noche UFC before taking advantage of a short-notice opportunity to face Rob Font on the same card, earning a unanimous decision over the veteran and breaking into the UFC bantamweight rankings in the process.

David Martinez (blue gloves) reacts after the fight Rob Font (red gloves) during Noche UFC at Frost Bank Center. | Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Vera vs. Martinez is a sizeable addition to UFC Mexico after fans weren’t exactly thrilled by the co-main event reveal, and currently the card on February 28 is shaping up like this.

UFC Mexico Fight Card

• Main Event: Brandon Moreno vs. Asu Almabayev

• Co-Main Event: Macy Chiasson vs. Ailin Perez

• Daniel Zellhuber vs. King Green

• Marlon Vera vs. David Martinez

• Edgar Chairez vs. Felipes Bunes

• Imanol Rodriguez vs. Kevin Borjas

• Jose Medina vs. Ryan Gandra

• Wes Schultz vs. Damian Pinas

• Santiago Luna vs. Angel Pacheco

• Cristian Quinonez vs. Kris Moutinho

• Ernesta Kareckaite vs. Sofia Montenegro

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