We are in for a bittersweet treat this weekend. Either
Marlon
Vera’s four fight win streak will be snapped and his rise
through the crowded bantamweight division will stop, or
Cory
Sandhagen will drop to 3-4 since 2020. With both of these
fighters being so great, it will be a sad ending as one will be
sent to the back of the line. So, who wins? That’s what we are here
to postulate on with the
UFC on ESPN 43 Beforemath.
“Chito” Vera: Career Performance
It is no secret that Vera is not a high-output fighter, but his
shot selection has been very much on point for the past few years.
While he does possess a great grappling toolkit, Vera has relied on
his striking in his most recent run and it’s gotten him by just
fine. But with “UFC San Antonio” presenting a new challenge, Vera
will have to bring a different approach to this fight if he hopes
to best the tricky Sandhagen.
Sandhagen is quick, fast and accurate, more so than most fighters
Vera has come across with the exception of
Jose Aldo, who
absolutely schooled Vera in 2020. Vera will need to find ways to
slow Sandhagen down and get the fight to a pace at which he is
comfortable. Eating a million jabs like he did against
Rob Font will
not be the route to take in this fight.
To get this fight in a winnable position, Vera is going to have to
slow down Sandhagen and bring the fight to his area. Vera is very
good in the grappling department, and I’d like to see him utilize
that more this fight. The first thing I’d like to see is Vera
pressuring Sandhagen against the fence. Against the cage, Vera can
slow down the squirrely Sandhagen and have several different
opportunities.