Tonight in Vancouver, Marlon "Chito" Vera returns to the Octagon to face Aiemann Zahabi, a bout that could define the next chapter of his career. Vera, holding a professional record of 23-10-1, last appeared in March 2024 when he challenged Sean O'Malley for the UFC Bantamweight Championship—resulting in a unanimous decision loss. He followed that with another decision defeat in August 2024 to Deiveson Figueiredo and has not secured a win since August 2023.

Vera's opponent, Zahabi, arrives with a record of 13-2-0 and a growing reputation inside the bantamweight division. A product of Montreal's Tristar Gym, Zahabi has been steadily gaining momentum and sees this matchup as his chance to leap into serious title contention.

The event takes place at Rogers Arena, part of the UFC Fight Night card headlined by Reinier de Ridder vs. Brendan Allen. Preliminaries begin at 4 p.m. ET, followed by the main card at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+.

For Vera, this is more than just a fight—it's a clear opportunity to break free from a two-fight skid and once again prove his relevance in the top tier of the division. For Zahabi, beating a former title challenger like Vera would signal he is ready for the elite level of the bantamweight class.

When the cage door closes tonight, it won't simply be about finishing 15 minutes—it will be about answering a career question for Vera and seizing a breakthrough moment for Zahabi.