It was his first turn as a headline attraction, and Marlon Vera made the most of the spotlight.
In the main event of UFC on ESPN 35 at the UFC Apex on Saturday, “Chito” used power to overcome the superior striking volume of Rob Font, knocking down the Boston native three times on his way to a unanimous decision victory. The breakthrough win was sweetened further by a six-figure bonus, as Font missed weight for their bout, meaning that Vera pocketed his opponent’s $50,000 “Fight of the Night” check as well as his own.