Chito Vera vs. Mario Bautista set for UFC Des Moines

Marlon “Chito” Vera looks to get back on track a little over a year after fighting for the UFC bantamweight title.

Multiple people with knowledge of the promotion’s plans confirmed to MMA Fighting that Vera is set to face surging contender Mario Bautista at UFC Des Moines. The event takes place May 3 at Iowa’s Wells Fargo Center. TuckTalksMMA on Twitter first reported the booking.

“Chito” makes his first appearance of 2025 after going winless in 2024. Vera challenged Sean O’Malley for the bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 299 this past March and lost a lopsided decision. The 32-year-old returned this past August to face former flyweight champ Deiveson Figueiredo and dropped a unanimous decision at UFC Abu Dhabi.

Bautista enters another big fight on the heels of an impressive seven-fight win streak. In his most recent bout, the MMA Lab standout picked up a controversial split decision win over two-time featherweight champ Jose Aldo at UFC 307 this past October.