Marlon Chito Vera needed this one, and he refused to let it reach the judges.
The former UFC bantamweight title challenger stopped Charles Jourdain at 2:02 of round three during the UFC 331 prelims at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. The victory ended a four fight losing streak and gave Vera his first win since he defeated Pedro Munhoz in August 2023.
Chito turned pressure into a finish
Vera and Jourdain spent much of the fight trading at close range. Jourdain was willing to meet him in the center, but the physical difference became more apparent as the rounds progressed. Vera absorbed the early exchanges, maintained his pressure, and began landing the heavier shots as Jourdain slowed.
The ending arrived midway through the third round. Vera connected with a powerful hook that dropped Jourdain after a delayed reaction. Jourdain indicated that he could not continue once he reached the canvas, bringing the bout to an end and giving Vera the stoppage he had been chasing.
It was a classic Chito performance. He stayed composed when the fight was competitive, trusted his durability, and became more dangerous as the damage accumulated. This time there was no scorecard and no uncertainty.
A badly needed reset
Vera entered UFC 331 after decision losses to Sean O'Malley, Deiveson Figueiredo, Aiemann Zahabi, and David Martinez. All four fights reached the scorecards, and the stretch pushed him out of the official UFC rankings after he had previously challenged for the bantamweight championship.
The skid also led Vera to make major changes before this fight. He separated from longtime coach Jason Parillo and built a new camp in an attempt to regain the aggression and confidence that once made him one of the division's most dangerous late round fighters.
Jourdain presented a serious test. He entered the matchup with three straight wins since moving to bantamweight and had a chance to use Vera as his path into contention. Instead, Vera halted that momentum and reminded the division that his power remains a threat until the final horn.
One victory does not erase the previous two years, but it changes the direction. Chito is back in the win column, he finished a surging opponent, and he did it in the exact kind of exhausting fight that has always brought out his best.