Chito Vera Splits From Longtime Coach to Fix a Skid at Bantamweight

Marlon Vera is shaking up his corner before it's too late. The #10-ranked bantamweight, 23-12-1 across a long UFC run, has parted ways with longtime coach Jason Parillo and moved to the camp built around rising prospect Raul Rosas Jr. It's a big swing for a 33-fight veteran, and it's coming at a moment when the results have stopped going his way.

Vera framed the split as a hard call rather than a bitter one, saying nothing went wrong between him and Parillo. He just didn't want to reach the end of his career wondering what might have happened if he'd tried something different. That's a telling admission from a fighter who's dropped his last outing, a unanimous-decision loss to David Martinez, and needs momentum fast.

Why the Timing Makes Sense

The math behind the move isn't complicated. Vera has built his reputation on finishes — 18 of his 23 wins have come by stoppage, split between 8 knockouts and 10 submissions — but the finishing touch has gone missing lately. Fresh eyes and a new gameplan are the obvious lever to pull when the decisions keep sliding the wrong way.

There's a curious wrinkle in the new partnership, too. Rosas Jr., the man whose team now guides Vera, sits at #12 in the same division at 12-1 (2 KO, 6 SUB). That's a young fighter one spot below Vera in the rankings, and their camps are now intertwined. Rosas is coming off a unanimous-decision win over Rob Font and next faces Raoni Barcelos.

What's Next for Chito

Vera's first test under the new setup comes against Charles Jourdain at UFC 331: Van vs. Pantoja 2. It's a winnable spot on paper, and exactly the kind of night Vera needs to prove the change was worth the disruption.

Coaching switches are a gamble at any stage, but they're a bigger one for a fighter this deep into a career. Vera clearly decided the risk of standing still was worse. If the new corner sharpens the finishing instincts that made his name, this could read as a smart pivot. If not, it'll be one more question mark on a résumé that's already seen plenty of turns.