Vera Explains Parillo Split After Four-Fight Skid

Marlon Vera has left longtime coach Jason Parillo in an effort to snap a four-fight losing streak that began with his title shot against Sean O'Malley at UFC 299.

The bantamweight, who faces Charles Jourdain at UFC 331, told The Ariel Helwani Show that the split came down to self-examination rather than conflict. "After the Mexico fight, we went back to training, and I was trying to figure out what I needed, what's not getting me to win these close decisions," Vera said, per MMA Junkie. "It was a hard decision because we didn't have a problem or nothing bad happened."

Vera Joins Raul Rosas Jr.'s Camp

Vera has since moved to the team that trains rising prospect Raul Rosas Jr. The decision, Vera explained, stemmed from wanting to avoid career-long regret. "I just told myself I don't want my career to go to the very end and then question if I should have made a change, because sometimes making changes is hard," he said. "You don't want to tell people you love or who have a big spot in your heart, 'Hey, I'm going to move forward for now, and I'm going to see what I can do.'"

BJPenn.com noted that Vera has struggled to recapture his form since the O'Malley loss, despite remaining a fan favorite. The Ecuador native has dropped decisions in each of his last four appearances, prompting the camp switch ahead of his featherweight matchup with Jourdain.

UFC 331 takes place later this month.

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• BJPenn — Marlon Vera explains tough decision to part ways with Jason Parillo