Marlon Andrés Vera (Manabí,Ecuador), known as Chito Vera, has managed to become the first, and for the moment, the only Ecuadorian to be part of the UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship), known worldwide for mixed martial arts. Today he is 24 years old and this October 28 at 8pm he will fight in Sao Paulo, Brazil with the local John Lineker.

Originally from Chone, at 10 he and his family went to live in Guayaquil. It was here where he met Fernando Soluco, his first mentor and then Frank Vidal, who became his teacher and, in the words of Vera in his interview with La Barra Espaciadora, his “second father.” Frank, a black belt in jujitsu and winner of the third place in his category in the World Cup in Brazil, said that: “Vera is one of the best exponents that the country currently has in this sport. We are aware that ‘Chito’ is going to go far in this, but for now the road is hard and it’s time to be persevering until we get to an international fight. ”

Thanks to all the work done by the fighter and his team, they have participated in events in the United States, England, Australia, Mexico, Peru, Panama and Ecuador. The biggest and most important achievement to date was when Dana White, president of the UFC, personally invited Chito to debut in his MMA (mixed martial arts) organization. It is worth noting that the UFC is the largest and most important in the world in its discipline and category.

Chito Vera says that, without the MMA in his life, he would not know what would be of him. He trains hard with his great mentor and team that supports and drives him to fulfill his dream: to be at the top of the MMA. “I am working on taking care of myself and taking Ecuador to the top and showing that there are warriors in the country.”

Chito Vera fights for his 5-year-old daughter Ana Paula. She was diagnosed with one of the rarest syndromes in the world: Moebius syndrome. Those who suffer from it suffer from facial paralysis, they cannot smile, frown and the movement of their eyes is limited. That’s why this father is working to afford his daughter’s operation, and to achieve this he has started an online campaign, you can support her here at GoFundMe.

We invite you to follow the Ecuadorian Chito Vera closely and encourage him in his next fight organized by the UFC in Sao Paulo, Brazil on October 28.

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