Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi prediction, pick, start time for UFC Fight Night 262

Dan Tom
| MMA Junkie

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Marlon Vera and Aiemann Zahabi meet on the main card of UFC Fight Night 262 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Check out this quick breakdown of the matchup from MMA Junkie analyst Dan Tom.

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Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi UFC Vancouver preview

Vera (23-10-1 MMA, 15-9 UFC) returns for his first appearance since last August, where he dropped a unanimous decision to Deiveson Figueiredo. The former title challenger is on a two-fight skid, with his last victory coming against Pedro Muhonz at UFC 292 in August 2023. Zahabi (13-2 MMA, 7-2 UFC) is running hot on a six-fight winning streak. He won a decision over Jose Aldo at UFC 315 in his first appearance of the year.

Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi UFC Vancouver expert pick, prediction

Serving as a solid offering at bantamweight is an interesting style clash between Marlon Vera and Aiemann Zahabi.

Vera is coming off what’s technically the longest layoff of his career, but that sort of break isn’t necessarily a bad thing for veteran fighters with hard miles on the odometer. Zahabi, on the other hand, has been experiencing a late-career renaissance of sorts, currently riding a five-fight winning streak into this contest.

Although this feels like a clear pick for Zahabi on paper, there’s no denying Vera’s potential to play spoiler when he’s on. I’ve become a fan of Zahabi in recent years, but the Canadian product hasn’t exactly been a bastion of durability throughout his career.

That said, it’s ultimately hard for me to rely on a fighter as low volume and opportunistic as Vera – even on his best day – can be. I expect the third frame to get really hairy for Zahabi, but I’ll officially pick him to beat Vera by unanimous decision.