A submission-only grappling match between Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera ended in a draw Sunday night in Quito, Ecuador, after neither MMA veteran managed to secure a finish during the 10-minute showdown at Hype.
A local star returning to his native Ecuador for his first competition in the country since 2012, Vera spent the first five minutes attempting a takedown while the Brazilian stood in the corner denying every opportunity. Vera called Aldo to the center of the ring then, and the ex-UFC champion decided to pull guard. The only real threat in the match happened when Vera pulled for a heel hook, but Aldo escaped.
Aldo, who holds a decision victory over “Chito” from their UFC days in 2020, now has a grappling draw in his record against the Ecuadorian fighter.
Watch the match below.
The co-main event bout was originally set to feature former UFC interim welterweight champion and current RAF titleholder Colby Covington versus local MMA fighter Mayton Perea in a submission-only match, but “Chaos” was replaced at the 11th hour by Juan Albarello.
Hype did not reveal why Covington didn’t enter the ring.
Perea, who signed a deal with the UFC in September after scoring a 45-second knockout at Dana White’s Contender Series, tapped to a foot americana in just over two minutes.
Watch the match below.
