UFC Vancouver: Marlon Vera vs. Aiemann Zahabi Predictions & Odds

The bantamweight showdown of former UFC title challenger Marlon Vera and Aiemann Zahabi will be part of the UFC Vancouver card on Oct. 18, at Rogers Arena in Canada.

Due to his loss in his previous fight, Vera will be the betting underdog in the match with +105 UFC odds. Meanwhile, Zahabi, who’s currently on a six-fight win streak inside the octagon, is going to be the -125 betting favorite.

UFC Vancouver: Vera vs. Zahabi Odds

• Marlon Vera: +105
• Aiemann Zahabi: -125

UFC Vancouver: Vera vs. Zahabi: Prediction

I predict a TKO/KO finish for Vera against Zahabi because he’s the more powerful striker and has more variety in his combinations. Furthermore, his longer reach and leg reach will play a massive role in their exchanges on the feet.

Vera’s only problem is that he’s a slow starter and needs to read his opponent’s tendencies and timing before he pours in the pressure and fires his strikes. But once he gets the read of them, he’s hard to stop because of his outstanding cardio.

Another factor is Zahabi’s high guard defense, which Vera could exploit with his lethal knee strikes. Vera has a sleek and notorious knee strike that can fold opponents once he times it perfectly, and I think that he can eventually find the mark against Zahabi.

Zahabi can minimize the threat of these strikes by grabbing Vera against the fence and forcing a grappling exchange. But the Ecuadorian also has an elite takedown defense and has the explosiveness to avoid unfavorable positions.

Marlon Vera’s Recent Fight Results

Vera is an 11-year UFC veteran who made his promotional debut against Marco Beltran in November 2014. Even though he dropped his maiden fight under the Las Vegas-based promotion, he still became a top contender in the 135-pound weight class.

Several of his most notable wins were against Sean O’Malley, Frankie Edgar, Rob Font, and Dominick Cruz. These victories helped him earn a shot at the belt in March 2024 against O’Malley in a rematch, but he came up short with a decision loss.

Following that defeat to O’Malley, Vera dropped another match to Deiveson Figueiredo in his most recent outing last August 2024 with a unanimous decision setback. Now, he’s looking to halt this skid to return to the title picture.

Aiemann Zahabi’s Recent Fight Results

Zahabi is a surging bantamweight contender who’s riding a six-fight win streak, which dates back to February 2021. During this stretch, he defeated Drako Rodriguez, Ricky Turcios, Aoriqileng, Javid Basharat, Pedro Munhoz, and, most recently, Aldo.

In his first three fights in the UFC, Zahabi won only one against Reginaldo Vieira in his debut, but sustained back-to-back losses to Ricardo Ramos and Vince Morales after that. The Canadian MMA star is looking to extend his win streak to seven.

UFC Vancouver: Vera vs. Zahabi: Tale of the Tape