Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera fought to a draw in a 10-minute submission-only grappling match Sunday night in Quito, Ecuador, at Hype. Vera spent the first five minutes hunting a takedown before Aldo pulled guard, and the only real threat came when Vera attempted a heel hook that Aldo escaped. Aldo holds a 2020 UFC decision win over Vera. In the co-main event, Colby Covington was replaced at the last minute by Juan Albarello, and Mayton Perea tapped him with a foot americana in just over two minutes; the promotion did not say why Covington did not compete.
Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera could not be separated in a 10-minute submission-only grappling match on Sunday night in Quito, Ecuador, at Hype, with the bout ruled a draw.
Vera, fighting in front of his home crowd, spent the first five minutes hunting a takedown. Aldo then pulled guard, and the only real moment of danger came when Vera attempted a heel hook that Aldo escaped. Neither man found a finish. Aldo holds a 2020 UFC decision win over Vera.
Vera, 33, is a ranked bantamweight, sitting at number 10 in the division with a 24-12-1 record. The Ecuadorian trains out of Team Oyama and fights from a switch stance. In MMA he lands 4.24 significant strikes per minute at 47 percent accuracy, and averages 0.7 submission attempts per 15 minutes.
Aldo, 40, brings a 32-10-0 record and represents Brazil and Nova Uniao. He is an orthodox fighter who lands 3.65 significant strikes per minute at 46 percent accuracy. His submission output is modest at 0.1 attempts per 15 minutes, which made his comfort in a grappling-only format notable. Both men measure a 70-inch (178 cm) reach.
The co-main event
Colby Covington was replaced at the last minute by Juan Albarello in the co-main event. Mayton Perea tapped Albarello with a foot americana in just over two minutes. The promotion did not say why Covington did not compete.
Covington, 38, is 17-5-0 and fights out of MMA Masters. The American is known for wrestling pressure, averaging 3.64 takedowns per 15 minutes.
Why it matters
- The result keeps the Aldo-Vera rivalry unsettled: Aldo has the 2020 UFC decision win, while the grappling match produced no winner.
- Vera's heel hook attempt was the lone serious threat of the night, showing his submission game remains a factor outside the cage.
- Covington's absence from the card is unexplained, leaving questions about his status.
