Jimmie Rivera vs. Marlon Vera targeted for UFC 247
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A really good bantamweight fight is verbally agreed for UFC 247 in Houston.
UFC bantamweight contender Marlon Vera is getting a significant step up in competition for his next fight.
Verbal agreements are in place for Vera to take on Jimmie Rivera at UFC 247 in Houston on February 8th. MMA Junkie was the first to report this story.
Vera (15-5-1) is on a five-fight winning streak, with all of his victories coming by stoppage. The Ecuadorian is coming off a third-round TKO of Andre Ewell at UFC Tampa in October. His last loss was to Douglas Silva de Andrade back in February 2018. “Chito” has worked his way up to #14 in the UFC’s 135 lbs rankings.
While Vera is #14, New Jersey’s Rivera (22-4) is ranked #7 but he’s desperate for a win. After boasting a 20-fight winning streak that included a 5-0 start to his UFC career, Rivera has lost three of his last four. He’s coming off decision defeats to Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling, with a decision over John Dodson representing his lone win since 2018.
UFC 247 is headlined by a light heavyweight title showdown between Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes. The co-main event is a women’s flyweight title between champion Valentina Shevchenko and Katlyn Chookagian.