A matchup between UFC-ranked top 10 bantamweights is heading to Canada.
At UFC Fight Night 262 on Oct. 18 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, former title challenger Marlon Vera will face Aiemann Zahabi in his home country. The promotion officially announced the matchup Thursday evening.
Ecuador’s Vera (23-10-1 MMA, 15-9 UFC) will look to get back on track after dropping two straight. His last victory over Pedro Munhoz at UFC 292 earned him a title shot against Sean O’Malley at UFC 299, in which he came up short. His last fight was a decision loss to former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo. “Chito” is currently ranked No. 7 by the promotion.
Three spots behind at No. 10 is Canada’s Zahabi (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC), who has been on a hot streak since 2021. After dropping back-to-back fights against Ricardo Ramos and Vince Morales, Zahabi has become a force in the bantamweight division. He is currently on a six-fight winning streak that includes two first-round stoppages. His most recent outing in May at UFC 315 was a unanimous decision win over former champion Jose Aldo.
With the addition, the current UFC Fight Night 262 lineup includes:
- Manon Fiorot vs. Jasmine Jasudavicius
- Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi
- Bruno Silva vs. HyunSung Park
- Danny Barlow vs. Djorden Santos
- Stephanie Luciano vs. Ravena Oliveira
- Azamat Bekoev vs. Yousri Belgaroui
