Marlon Vera struggles with one of the toughest stretches of his career, and the former title challenger is not hiding how difficult the journey has been.
Once considered one of the UFC bantamweight division’s most dangerous contenders, Vera now finds himself searching for answers after a string of disappointing results. The Ecuadorian veteran has lost three straight fights since falling short against Sean O’Malley in their UFC 299 title rematch, dropping out of the bantamweight Top 15 for the first time in years.
Now, Vera hopes to turn things around when he faces Charles Jourdain at UFC 331 later this month.
Ahead of his return, Vera candidly discussed the emotional toll of his losing streak during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show.
“It’s pretty s—-. It’s hard, man. It’s depressing. It hits you where it matters the most. I don’t even really know how to express it,” Vera admitted.
The longtime UFC fan favorite explained that repeated setbacks have forced him into uncomfortable self-reflection.
“You put so much into it. You’re trying so hard and you fail. Then you say, ‘OK, let’s get back on the horse. I’m a tough person. I’ve got to keep my chin high.’ And then you fail again, and you fail again.”
“You get to the point where it’s like, ‘OK, I’m not ever going to succeed again. This is just not working for me.’ Then you go into yourself and you’re like, ‘What’s wrong? What am I doing wrong?'”
For a fighter who built his reputation on resilience and grit, the recent run of losses has presented a challenge unlike anything he has experienced before.
This is not the first time Vera has found himself at a crossroads in his career. Earlier in his UFC journey, “Chito” endured back-to-back defeats against John Lineker and Douglas Silva de Andrade. At the time, he questioned whether he belonged among the sport’s elite.
“Those back-to-back losses were pretty hard mentally,” Vera previously said. “I was a little depressed, and I thought my career was done. I was like, ‘I can’t beat these guys.'”
“And back then I wasn’t the person that I am today. It’s almost like I was reading a little bit of comments, like, ‘Oh, you’re done. You suck.’ It’s like, ‘I do suck.'”
Rather than allowing those struggles to define him, Vera rebuilt his career through honest self-assessment and a renewed commitment to improvement.
“Mentally I wasn’t that sharp,” Vera explained. “I was strong and I was able to take it and rebuild. I went on a good win streak after that, but that’s what happens when you talk to yourself and go, ‘Hey, you’ve got to fix this. You’ve got to take care of yourself. You have to do what’s right.'”
As Marlon Vera struggles to regain his footing in the division, he remains determined to write another comeback story.
The 32-year-old has recently spent time training alongside rising UFC star Raul Rosas Jr. and working with a revamped coaching setup in hopes of reigniting his career.
A victory over Jourdain at UFC 331 could move Vera back toward the bantamweight rankings and remind fans why he was once considered a legitimate title threat.
For now, however, Vera’s focus remains on overcoming the doubts that come with adversity and proving that his best days inside the Octagon are not behind him.
