By FCF Staff

Marlon “Chito” Vera will reportedly be the next man to try to halt Mario Bautista’s rise in the UFC’s bantamweight rankings.

Bautista has moved into the #10 spot of the bantamweight ranks thanks to a seven-fight winning streak, which started in 2021.

According to a report from MMA Fighting, sources have confirmed Vera and Bautista are going to fight at the UFC’s May 3rd card in Des Moines, Iowa.

TuckTalksMMA was the first to report the match-up via social media.

Vera (23-10) is looking to end a two-fight, losing skid, as “Chito” is coming off decision losses to Sean O’Malley and Deiveson Figueiredo. The longtime contender is 2-3 in his last 5 bouts.Vera is currently ranked #7 in the bantamweight division.

Bautista (15-2) is coming off a split decision win over Jose Aldo in October, which followed a decision victory against Ricky Simon in January, 2024.