Frankie Edgar vs. Marlon Vera Booked for UFC 268 on New York Card
A pivotal UFC bantamweight matchup between Frankie Edgar and Marlon Vera has been booked for UFC 268, on the promotion’s anticipated return to New York on Nov. 6, as first reported by ESPN’s Brett Okamoto.
Edgar and Vera will face off in a matchup of Top-15 bantamweights, with the veteran Edgar at No. 8 in the rankings followed by Vera at No. 13. Both fighters are looking to stay in the thick of things in the UFC bantamweight division, which has become more stacked than arguably ever before.
Edgar, the former UFC lightweight champion and former featherweight title challenger, will return to the octagon for the first time since falling to Cory Sandhagen by a brutal flying knee knockout at UFC Vegas 18. He’s lost three of his last four fights and is looking for just his second win at bantamweight since making the move down in weight last year.
Edgar will face Vera, who rebounded nicely from a tough loss to Jose Aldo with a dominant performance over Davey Grant at UFC Vegas 29. The 28-year-old Vera has won seven of his last nine outings in the bantamweight division.
While an official announcement hasn’t been made by the UFC just yet, the bantamweight matchup between Edgar and Vera is expected to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York, though an official venue booking hasn’t been made. The card will also feature the highly-anticipated welterweight title rematch between Kamaru Usman and Colby Covington, along with a slugfest between top lightweight contenders Justin Gaethje and Michael Chandler. Former UFC middleweight champion Luke Rockhold is also booked to fight rising contender Sean Strickland.
Edgar and Vera are both looking to get back in the title picture, which includes the upcoming title rematch between Aljamain Sterling and Petr Yan later this year. The winner of Edgar vs. Vera will more than likely get a top contender for their next fight in the UFC octagon.
What is your way-too-early prediction for Frankie Edgar vs. Marlon Vera?
