Marlon Vera and Mario Bautista will still compete, but a few weeks later than initially planned.
The UFC has announced that the bantamweight fight between Vera and Bautista is now scheduled for UFC 316, taking place on June 7th at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. This matchup was originally intended for UFC Des Moines on May 3rd. The reason for the change in date is currently unknown.
UFC 316 is headlined by the highly anticipated championship rematch between Merab Dvalishvili and Sean O’Malley. The co-main event will feature Kayla Harrison challenging Julianna Peña for the women’s bantamweight title.
“Chito” Vera will make his first appearance in 2025 after a winless 2024. Vera last fought for the bantamweight title at UFC 299 this past March, where he lost a unanimous decision to O’Malley. Prior to that, the 32-year-old faced former flyweight champion Deiveson Figueiredo this past August at UFC Abu Dhabi, also losing by unanimous decision.
Bautista enters this significant fight on an impressive seven-fight win streak. In his most recent appearance, the MMA Lab fighter secured a controversial split decision victory over former two-time featherweight champion Jose Aldo at UFC 307 this past October.
The UFC has also officially announced that Johnny Walker will face Azamat Murzakanov in a light heavyweight contest at the event.
