Marlon Vera, commonly referred to as “Chito,” has a net worth of about $4 million. Vera is a UFC fighter who competes in the bantamweight division. He is currently ranked fifth in that weight class, and he has the biggest fight of his life ahead of him. At UFC 299, Vera will be taking on Sean O’Malley in a championship bout for the bantamweight belt.
Vera is a big-time betting underdog against O’Malley, who is one of the biggest stars in the UFC. This is somewhat unfair, though, as Vera is the only fighter who has ever beaten O’Malley. In this article, we will take a closer look at how Vera has come to his wealth, as well as we will dive into Vera’s career, including when he beat O’Malley back in 2020.
Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera’s net worth in 2024 (estimate): $4 million
Marlon Vera’s net worth is projected to be around $4 million. This is according to sites including essentiallysports.com and sportskeeda.com. Vera is from Ecuador, and the majority of his wealth comes from his time in the UFC. There have only been 10 champions in the bantamweight division throughout the UFC’s history, so a win over O’Malley would surely make him a rich man.
Vera is believed to have cashed in $326,000 in his last fight, a win over Pedro Munhoz. It is believed his biggest payday came at UFC Fight Night on March 25, 2023. It reported that Vera made $370,000 for this fight despite the fact that he lost to Cory Sandhagen. The fighter has a very entertaining style, and he is known for finishing his opponents. This has led to eight total performance bonuses.
Vera also has made money through sponsorships. He reportedly has endorsement deals with Venom, Jaxxon, TCL Electronics. A lot of eyes will be watching Vera’s fight at UFC 299, as his opponent, Sean O’Malley, is arguably the biggest star in the UFC. If Vera can upset O’Malley, endorsement deals and big opportunities will like come flocking in.
Marlon Vera’s career
Vera started fighting at the amateur level starting in 2011, and he jumped to the professional ranks by 2012. He compiled a 6-1-1 record through different Latin American promotions during this time.
Vera then tried out for The Ultimate Fighter, where he was ultimately cast on The Ultimate Fighter: Latin America in 2014. He impressed on the show with a win over Henry Briones, but his run came to a close when he got a skin infection. Vera still looked good enough that he was able to make his way onto the UFC roster, and he took on Marcon Beltran at UFC 180 in his debut. He lost that fight via unanimous decision before beating Roman Salazar with a triangle armbar at the Aug. 8, 2015, UFC Fight Night.
Unfortunately, Marlon Vera also lost his third UFC bout when Davey Grant bested him by points. With two early UFC career losses, Vera’s time at the highest level looked like it was going to be stopped before it truly got going, but then he went on a run. Vera’s striking improved, and he won three straight fights. By this point, Vera was displaying that he had a lot of power in his hands.
Vera then lost fights against John Lineker and Douglas Silva de Andrade, but he was able to get on track with five straight wins. Vera did suffer a setback in a loss against Song Yadong, but he shocked the world when he knocked out Sean O’Malley at UFC 252. O’Malley was on the fast track to superstardom, as he had yet to suffer a loss in his career. That was until a number of Vera’s leg kicks weakened his lower leg and allowed Vera to get into position to knock O’Malley out with some vicious elbows.
The win over O’Malley officially put Marlon Vera on the map and illustrated how dangerous he is. Chito has knock-out power with his hands, kicks, and elbows, and he is also able to end fights with submissions.
After the O’Malley victory, Vera faced Jose Aldo, the fighter many consider to be the greatest featherweight ever. He did lose that fight, but he went on to win his next four bouts, which put him on a championship contention trajectory.
Vera fought twice in 2023. At UFC Fight Night on March 25, he lost to Cory Sandhagen. He got redemption in a victory over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292, which was the same event in which O’Malley became the Bantamweight Champion.
While other fighters like Sandhagen, Merab Dvalishvili, and Henry Cejudo all made sense to challenge for the belt, the UFC gave the opportunity to Marlon Vera as a way to prove himself. He is 23-8-1 in MMA, but his signature win comes over the current champion. O’Malley is expected by many to get his revenge, but Vera only needs one strike to end any match.
In his entire career, Vera has never been knocked down, knocked out, or submitted. He is virtually impossible to finish, which makes his fight with O’Malley – one of the hardest-hitting bantamweights ever – all the more intriguing. So, were you surprised by Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera’s net worth?
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