Matchups in the world of combat sports can make or break a career. Fighters early on in their careers need to be trained smartly, otherwise, it can lead to their downfall. Having the right strategy and the right path is the most important aspect of the growth of a fighter.

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Many times in the world of MMA and UFC, fighters with less experience have to fight against much more experienced fighters, which mostly doesn’t end well. Joe Rogan and Marlon Vera discussed the topic in the latest episode of The Joe Rogan Experience.

While discussing Vera’s journey and how he used to get dominated in his gym by veterans, Rogan said, “It’s hard to get better when you’re getting f**ked up. One thing that Eddie Bravo told me early on, he’s like, train with blue belts. He goes cause you can tap them all the time, then you can get all these reps. Because if you train with black belts, you’re just defending and you’re getting tapped a lot… That’s the reason why boxing has a very smart strategy. They match you up carefully until they get you prepared for a world-class opponent and then eventually for a title fight.”

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“The thing about the UFC is, they’ll throw guys to the wolves very early on, especially if you’re willing. There’s a bunch of different promoters in boxing. The whole key to make the most money is to get your fighter undefeated when he gets to the title shot. In the UFC, it’s like they get to make the call. If they call you up and they say, hey Marlon, we have a fight and it’s a championship level fighter. And you have four days’ notice, can you make weight? It happens all the time.”

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Who’s next for Marlon Vera?

Vera, currently on a two-fight win streak, is coming off an impressive knockout victory over Frankie Edgar. After the win, ‘Chito’ climbed to the number 8 spot in the UFC bantamweight rankings. Now a top 10 fighter, Vera recently called out Jose Aldo for a rematch after his win over Rob Font.

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The pair previously fought in December 2020, and Aldo won the fight via unanimous decision. However, as the former featherweight champion is looking for a title shot soon, it seems highly unlikely that he will be interested in this fight.

A rematch with Sean O’Malley can interest the UFC. Vera and ‘Suga’ fought last year, and ‘Chito’ came out on top after O’Malley suffered a lower leg injury in the first round.

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O’Malley is one of the most popular fighters in the world and a fight with the only opponent to ever beat him will bring in a lot of eyeballs. Who do you think Vera should fight next? Let us know in the comments!

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Arunaditya Aima

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Arunaditya Aima is an editor at EssentiallySports, where he works to bring clarity and depth to sports storytelling through the pieces he edits. With a Master’s degree in Sports Broadcast Journalism and over three years of experience in the field, he combines newsroom discipline with a deep-rooted passion for sports. During his time at EssentiallySports, Arunaditya has taken on multiple roles across the editorial pipeline. He began as a writer covering Ultimate Fighting Championship before transitioning into editorial responsibilities, including serving as the primary editor for National Basketball Association coverage. His experience across writing and editing allows him to approach stories from both a narrative and structural perspective. Before his editorial work in digital sports media, Arunaditya worked as a producer at Firstpost under the Network18 Group umbrella, gaining experience in newsroom production and broadcast-oriented storytelling. Across roles, he focuses on refining sports coverage through strong editorial judgment, attention to detail, and a commitment to presenting the game in ways that resonate with readers.

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