Bantamweights
Guido Cannetti (8-3) vs. Marlon Vera (11-5-1)ODDS: Vera (-320), Cannetti (+260)
For once, Cannetti gets to play the hometown favorite. The Argentinian was the heel on “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America’s” inaugural season, so much so that despite losing his UFC debut, the promotion kept him around, seemingly with an eye towards giving a Brazilian an easy win on a Brazilian card. That time came at UFC 190, where Cannetti was a huge underdog against Hugo Viana. However, Cannetti wound up outlasting Viana for the stunning decision victory. Cannetti failed to build off of that momentum: Thanks to a combination of injuries and a drug suspension, it was almost two and a half years before he finally returned to fighting. The results have been a mixed bag, but Cannetti managed to score a win over Chile’s Diego Rivas on a card in Santiago in May and now hopes to hold serve in his own country against Vera, an “Ultimate Fighter” castmate.
The fighting pride of Ecuador, Vera has been an intriguing if frustrating prospect for a while now. He was more likeable than particularly good on that first season of “The Ultimate Fighter Latin America,” and the UFC saw fit to keep him on the roster even after a rough start. Its faith paid off, as Vera eventually developed from a low-level grappling specialist to a cocky striker with a dangerous submission game. Still, “Chito” has been annoyingly inconsistent. Sometimes he is capable of a highlight-reel submission, and sometimes he just gets pieced up on the feet without the necessary tools to reclaim the fight. Vera is probably destined to be a young veteran whose game never quite coalesces, but even so, he is still a fun fighter to watch.
Cannetti is a bit underrated, but Vera still has enough advantages that he should take this one. Cannetti might be more aggressive on the feet, which could give Vera some trouble as he tries to pull the trigger, but he also has a tendency to get too aggressive for his own good, particularly in terms of clinching or taking things to the ground. Even if Cannetti enjoys some early success, he will probably give Vera an opportunity to latch on to some type of submission -- an opportunity the Ecuadorian is always willing to take. The pick is Vera via second-round submission.
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