[cheering] Both here be giving your instructions. Touch gloves if you like. Let's fight.
[cheering] [screaming] Shaun Ali's first bantamweight championship title defense beckons tonight in Miami, Florida. Marlon Cheto Vera 23 fights into a UFC career that dates to 2014 looking to break through and become a world champion. Vera is in yellow.
Ali is in the pink with gold. [cheering] >> [cheering] >> Not only is Marlon Barah this division's most accomplished finisher historically, he has never been put away in 22 UFC fights coming in. You can argue he has never faced a sniper quite like Shawn Mal.
>> But yet he has. >> Jose Aldo, right? Tory Sanhagen, I guess.
>> And Sha Melon. >> Well, there you go. Yeah, there you go.
I say correct. >> [cheering] >> I was waiting. I was just kind of waiting.
I was like, that's funny. Oh man, [cheering] >> we have the best job in the world. >> It is the best.
>> Great friends, great fights. [cheering] >> Oh, spinning back kick to the body. >> Ali suggested that he gets calmer as these fights get bigger.
[cheering] >> And Cheito has done a good job of >> [cheering] >> getting better as the fights go longer. >> Cheito's being very patient here, not opening up, looking for reads. Good low kick by Shawn.
>> That's his MMO. He doesn't. He usually tries to take around the build.
You know, it's a real boxing approach. You see some of the best boxers in the world lose round one constantly because they barely do anything. [cheering] That's Cheeto Vera.
He gets your speed. He gets your timing. And then he starts to go to work.
And very rarely has that ultimately cost him. [cheering] [cheering] >> If you're Sean Ali, you want to take the lead and you want to not relinquish it. You want to get ahead of Cheeto Vera.
>> [cheering] >> Like we saw in the fight with Cory Sanhagen where you put him on his heels and never allow for him to get going. [cheering] >> Ali pretty efficient early. He's landed 80% of his 15 attempts.
>> [cheering] [cheering] >> Oh, beautiful straight left. [cheering] >> Oh, Ali shuffling up the footwork a lot here in the early going. >> Good kick to the body by Cheeto.
Left hand by Cheeto. [cheering] >> Vera committing to that lead leg attack early on. not biting on a lot of these Ali faints early.
[cheering] >> Good vision there defensively by Shawn and now he attacks the body. [cheering] >> Does a really good job fainting [cheering] and then he'll give you a faint and let the jab follow it. >> He's never stationary.
He's never just walking forward and throwing. is always mixing it up. He mixes up his timing as well as anyone in the UFC.
[cheering] [cheering] >> We heard Jason Carillo talk about smothering the speed of Shaun Ali. >> Cheo trying to work his way inside. [cheering] Good body shot by the champion.
>> I mean, the champ looks really good in round one. [cheering] >> He's doing such a good job of switching stances as well. >> Good kick to the body.
>> A lot of people have suggested if you are going to finish Marlon Barry, you got to invest in the body. Ali has certainly done that in round one. There it is again.
>> You can tell that's a very big part of the game plan. Mody work by Shawn Ali. >> Strong start for the incumbent.
>> ARE YOU READY? FIGHT. [cheering] >> Carill said he expected that to be round one, but he's got to get more active now.
Ali's team feels like the speed is just way too much of an advantage for their fighter. They don't think Farah could keep up with him. >> Spinning attack partially graze the chin of Vera.
>> Marlin's got to do something significant unless he's going to be behind on the scorecards and have to play catchup, in which case he's going to have to chase Shawn, which makes it much more dangerous. [cheering] >> He's just got to get more active. He's got to get in the face of Ali and start working.
[cheering] >> He can't just shell up when Ali comes at him either. He's got to offer some offense, some some form of a counter that stops Sean in his tracks. [cheering] >> There's a strong low kick.
[cheering] >> [cheering] [cheering] >> Well, that's a weapon that Shauna Ali is going to have to deal with throughout this championship reign. However long it lasts. Cheeto goes high.
Ali raises the guard. Nice snipe to the body by Ali. Now he goes up top.
[cheering] Chino respects Ali's power so much that he almost freezes when Shawn gets ready to start going. And Ali recognizes that. So he continues to give him faints to keep him on the defensive.
Well, he's looking for openings to counter that just aren't there when Omali comes in cuz he comes in and then he's out before Cheeto gets a chance to fire back. >> That low kick was solid. He needs more of those.
There's a body kick. >> Kicks will help him at a distance. >> Oh, Mali able to split that guard with a right hand.
Vera a little bit wideeyed here. Sean is getting off on the outside and doing so beautifully. >> The speed difference is very obvious.
Ali is so much faster than Cheeto. [cheering] >> Fighters exchange body kicks there. Cheo with a flurry.
Beautiful one two by the champ. And another >> Vera is going to have to throw in between the combinations of Ali. When Ali is in the process of throwing those strikes, he's got to throw with him.
He cannot wait for Ali to finish before he starts to throw. He's not [cheering] fast enough to keep up with Shawn. >> That's a good left hand.
>> Ali did a great job at checking a low kick just a few seconds ago. And that's one of the things that has to be a factor in this fight considering the result of the first fight. It had to be a part of their strategy to make sure that doesn't happen again.
>> OH, BIG KNEE UP THE GUT FOR A BAR ON THE RETREAT. >> Shin on Marlon Barah. >> They didn't even rock him.
>> Ram it. I mean, it sounded like a bat hitting a watermelon. >> It was as clean a knee as you'll ever see, and it did not even rock it.
>> But that's the problem with trying to shell up what Cheetos do. >> Oh, right hand and then a left. Cheeto is busted up.
Ali misses with the knee. >> The speed of Ali is something to behold. Now he's opening up right hand.
[cheering] >> Good right hand by Cheeto. Cheeto has a massive wel underneath that right eye >> and that kick is not going to help matters. Waning seconds of round two.
Ali back to work to the body. >> Beautiful jab and a right hand by Ali. >> Ali is fighting really, really well right now.
>> Oh, knock down with the right hand. >> Two nil at the very least for the chin. >> Sounds like a metal bat.
Round three. >> They say when a guy has a chin like that to knock him out, it takes a kick or a knee. Well, he just ate that knee.
Let's see if Shawn Ali can put enough punches together to get this guy out of here. >> I would love to see Cheeto throw more of those. Yeah, attack those legs.
And Jason say you got to go vo down now. Oh landed another right hand. There you go.
There you go. Come on. >> The historically durable Marlon Cheeto Vera being tested to the nth degree tonight.
Jason Pillo calling for more circular movement. >> Shaun Ali at his sniping best here early landing nearly 60% of his strikes. >> Cheeto shelling up even when Shawn closes in like that.
That's all right. I >> mean, he has got to turn this into a dog fight. And he can't let Shawn stay on the outside and utilize those advantages.
>> Sean is so good in terms of setting up his opponents, throwing shots only where they're going to land. Watch here now. When Shidto starts to shell, he's just going to go to the body.
He never wastes action. >> Everything's a setup for Ali. The striking is beautiful and his movement's beautiful as well.
Avoiding all the big shots from Cheeto. >> All the faints, they're all purposeful. >> Look at that jab off the right hand now.
>> Straight left. Oh, >> just piecing Cheeto up. your defense, bud.
>> There you go. >> Four of those. >> And Sean returns.
>> Yeah, Ali has answered nearly every Vera connection with one of his own. it up. [cheering] You got something.
You got something bit hard on that f inside leg kick for Cheeto. >> Beautiful shot to the body. [cheering] And now Cheeto starting to get swollen over the right eye from all the jabs of Ali and that cheek injury.
>> This is just a shut out by Shawn Ali. >> Ali mixing up all his weapons beautifully. >> Beautiful head movement there too to avoid the right.
>> [cheering] >> And the thing about Omali is Jo, he will he will get you moving with his shoulders and his face, his eyes, even his eyes, he'll look down at your legs, make you react low. He look I mean it's just everything's moving with a purpose right now. And Cheeto's, he's got Cheeto behind.
And that's one of the issues with being a guy [cheering] that essentially gives up round number one, >> right? >> Because what if you can't get it going once that guy's already found his flow. >> One minute here to go.
Round three. Coach Dean Thomas, talk to us. >> You know, I think this fight is coming down to footwork.
And Cheeto just doesn't have the footwork to compete with him. I mean, really, I it doesn't matter how strong you are or how good of a fighter you are, you have to have basic footwork patterns. and Cheito just doesn't have him.
And that's why Sean is running away with this. >> Cheito's kind of standing and Ali is just moving all around him. >> Oh, Ali loads up on a right hand.
He does not miss. Now another knee for good measure. >> And as durable as Cheeto is, you got to wonder how many of these he can take before it all falls apart.
>> That's what he needs to start doing. Just fight. Cheeto's got to just fight.
At this point, you got to take some chances like that. >> That's a big right hand. He landed now.
A jab for Vera. >> You got to take some chances if you're Vera. Sure, you're going to take some shots.
You're going to get hit, but you got to take chances. [cheering] >> Sure, you can do much more with 60 seconds than Jason Pillo did right there to try to get Cheeto back into this fight. gave solid advice and he also let him know that look Shawn went to the wrong corner he could be bewildered.
He could have gotten hurt. >> He told him when Shawn starts to go throw with him. Don't wait.
Don't shell up and wait. That's how Ali gets going. [cheering] >> He needs more of this wildness.
This is where he can make this a real fight. You just can't stay on the outside and let Shawn snipe him. [cheering] >> Shawn's just too good at this.
>> I mean, nobody can. There's not a bantamweight in the world that can stand on the outside and fight Shawn Ali. Not the way that he moves and his setups.
You got to make him fight a dirty fight. [cheering] >> [cheering] >> Bear attacks the body. Omali saw it coming.
Nice stick and move by the champion there. [cheering] >> Well, here we are in the championship rounds and the reality is at this point Marlon Vera needs a knockout. >> Yep.
He needs a finish >> or a submission. >> Oh, >> he needs to make it dirty. Just like this.
>> He should have did this earlier. This is the fight. >> You got to take something ugly.
>> I mean, [cheering] he's got to risk getting knocked out. He's got to get into the fire. Yep.
>> Left hand lands sharply for Ali. Inside leg kick for Ver. Pretty good combo for Cheeto.
Missed on the knee to punctuate it. >> He hit him with a jab there. Nice jab by Cheeto.
[cheering] >> You're starting to see blood coming out of the nose of the champion. >> Beautiful trip by the champion. But just awareness there.
to recognize the foot placement and use utilize that trip. Just beautiful. >> And Ali's nose is leaking pretty good now.
Under three minutes in round four, >> as is Cheetos. >> Good kick to the body by the champ. >> When Cheeto can go forward and pressure, he finds success.
He's landed. Look at that. Like here, >> he's just got to make it like that.
He's got to make it in a dog fight. Sean's leaking bad now. He's his mouth is wide open as well.
>> He's got to go forward. If you're Mining Vera, you can't back up at all. And he can't shell up either.
He's got to [cheering] empty. He's got to empty the tank. He's also shown that he can take Sean's best shots.
[cheering] >> Nice evasiveness there by Ali. Under two minutes here, round four. >> Certainly Cheeto's best round thus far.
Unquestionably, >> he's turning it into a dog fight now at least. But still Shawn's winning. >> I think Shawn's activity, you know, he's just doing much more than Cheeto.
Cheeto needs to be more active. Throw caution to the wind and just go to work. Like he was landing, but now Ali's thrown probably 10, 12 shots.
He has not returned yet. Beautiful jab kick to the body. Just the output, the volume by the champion.
Tremendous. Cheeto connected there. Although Amali took away a lot of the blow by moving away.
Nice straight left. I need to heard the man and get out of his back. >> Oh my goodness.
>> Ali continues to commit to the body. Nice job defensively by Shawn. >> Chino just needs way more volume.
He needs to turn it into these wild exchanges where he can use his durability and his power and land. >> But on the outside, he's just getting outclassed. [cheering] elbow.
>> It's because Ali just fights behind his jab. >> Everything starts with a jab. Cheeto connected there a little bit.
Beautiful left hook there by Vera. >> And a big right hand for Ali. [cheering] >> Good low kick by Cheeto.
>> 20 minutes down, five to go. long time training partner in student Shawn Ali. Got to manage risk here.
Seemingly up 4-nil. [cheering] >> And great advice from Jason Pillo, too. Empty the tank.
[cheering] [cheering] And if you're Vera trying to realize a world title with a late finish, got to throw caution to the wind. 30 seconds have already gone off the clock. >> That was a great low kick by Marlin.
>> But the LOW KICKS WERE NOT >> BEAUTIFUL. He heard heard him. >> That one hurt Cheeto.
[cheering] Oh, Ali not sitting on this lead. Nice attack to the body. >> Oh, he got him in the eye.
His eyes. He's squinting. >> The left eye squint.
[cheering] >> Gio's covering up every time Sean gets ready to >> Oh, beautiful knee from Ali. [cheering] This is a master class. It really is.
>> Just a beautiful job. >> OH, DISTANCE, SNIPING, [cheering] FAINTING, EVERYTHING. Everything is just beautiful tonight by the champion.
>> You know what? >> It's hard to say that Shawn Ali has never looked this as good because he's the champ, but I mean, [cheering] >> he's knocked people. Yes, he's knocked people out, but I don't know if he's ever put together a performance over the course of 22 minutes right now that has been as thorough and as dominant.
>> Well, he's getting better. I mean, this is the thing about this kid. >> You got to look past the hair and all the style of the Lamborghini.
This kid is a savage. >> I remember we used to talk about his earlier fights when the third round would start, he'd be looking up at the clock, fatiguing himself. >> Yeah.
>> But not anymore. Look at him. He's He's He's in the championship round.
>> He's up four rounds to zero. He hasn't taken his foot off the gas yet. >> Here's the big right hand we isolated in that lower left corner of your screen.
I'm not sure Cheeto can really see out of that left eye. He keeps blinking it out, but showcasing all the heart and will we have come to expect from the Ecuadorian. And [cheering] I think you tip your hat to the fact that we're in an arena full of people, 20,000 people for a bantamweight title fight at the top of the card.
>> Yeah, >> not many bantamweights has ever been have been able to headline a fight card in the market. >> That's a good left hand connection by Bear. Excuse me, champ.
>> And be this successful. >> Still time. Two minutes to go.
I remember when McGregor started to headline cards and sell out arenas at 145. It was the same thing. I've never seen a small guy command a city like [cheering] Connor did, but I feel like we're seeing it with Shan Ali.
People come out. And what valuable championship experience a crew by Shaun Ali tonight to fight five rounds with this type of output and pace. He's thrown 310 strikes in counting.
[cheering] >> Oh, [cheering] he's just doing a brilliant job of finding openings. [cheering] >> Oh, beautiful spinning kick to the body. >> [cheering] >> Cheto willing himself to move forward in the face of pain.
>> Ali rips the body once more. >> One minute to decide it. High kick.
>> Left hand. Just missed that front kick up high. >> Oh, big knee by Cheetah.
>> Oh, nice knee by Ali now. >> What a fight. I mean, Cheeto is trying to go out on his shield.
He's [cheering] doing his very best. He's just getting outclassed. >> Crowd rising to its feet in [cheering] appreciation of the master class put forth by the undisputed bantamweight champion OF THE WORLD AND STILL SUGAR.
[cheering] >> WOW. Look at Shawn just drained at the end of this. >> You know why?
>> They need to body. >> Oh my god. He got hit with a big shot at the end of the fifth round.
big shot. >> He got hit with a nasty body shot to end that fight. And again, it was in that it was in a moment when Cheeto made it just a ugly, nasty, dirty fight.
I wish we show that replay. >> Yeah, let's see >> of that. Yeah, that shot that he took at the end of the fight was nasty by Vera.
And look at the effect it has on the Mali. Sure, he's tired, but that speaks to what Marlon Vera needed to do earlier in the fight. You saw Shawn kind of lean over when it landed, >> but I mean, he put on a masterpiece.
>> Where did it land? >> It landed to the It landed right in the middle, right in the bread basket. It was >> It was the best strike that Cheeto landed all fight.
>> We'll see it here. >> Look at There it is right there. You see it?
>> Yep. Left hook to the liver. >> Left hook to the left hook to the body.
>> Left hook to the body. And it was right when it was It got ugly. >> Yep.
You know, early in the fight, massive knee landed by the champion. Little fadeback right hand lands for the champ as Cheeto crashes in. Knocks him down to one knee.
Straight left hand by Sugashan Ali. Here's a combo to the body there. Little jab in the left hand around the corner.
Another right hand straight down the middle. Lands on Marlon Vera. Fourth round was Cheeto's best round.
He found success there by just attacking Shawn Ali and making him fight. Beautiful jab here by Cheeto getting to the clinch. Got a couple dirty boxing shots off.
Ali with a jab. One, two. Beautiful right hand land by the champion.
Spinning back kick off of the counter by Sugaran Ali. Ladies and gentlemen, after five rounds, we go to the judges scorecards for decision. The judges score the contest 5045, 5045, and 5044 for the WINNER BY UNANIMOUS DECISION.
AND STILL [screaming] THE UNDISPUTED UFC bantamweight champion of the world, SUGAR. I'm here with the champion, ladies and gentlemen.
