Betting
Betting
Match Preview
Gambling
News

UFC Fight Night: Marlon Vera vs David Martinez Odds, Tips and Predictions

Date: Sunday, March 1 Time: 01:00 AM GMT Venue: Arena CDMX, Mexico UFC Fight Nights are never short on tension or excitement, and that applies to the forthcoming clash between Marlon Vera and David Martinez at the Arena CDMX, Mexico, on Sunday, March 1. The leading UFC bookies never miss a beat, and they will have readily available lines for bettors to tap into ahead of the first bell. Just a solitary spot separates Vera and Martinez in the bantamweight rankings, but they are inside the top 10, illustrating the credentials of both. Vera (23-11-1) will be desperate to return to winning ways, with three defeats on the spin, but there were two cancelled bouts against Mario Bautista.

Charles Perrin
Charles Perrin

Last updated: 2026-02-16

Chad Nagel

6 minutes read

SportsBoom offers honest and impartial bookmaker reviews to help you make informed choices. While we may earn commissions through affiliate links, our content remains independent and free from promotional influence. For more information, see our Content Transparency and How We Review pages.

(L-R) Marlon Vera punches Aiemann Zahabi during the UFC Fight Night

(L-R) Marlon Vera punches Aiemann Zahabi during the UFC Fight Night / Getty Images

Meanwhile, Martinez, known as the “Doctor”, has been putting his patients, we mean his opponents, to sleep. A stunning 13-1-0 record has been underlined by eight routine wins on the bounce, and the majority of these have been via TKO/KO.

This has the potential to be an intriguing clash. Apart from outlining sites for UFC betting to find odds, we’ve shared some stats that are worth leaning into ahead of this bout.

Pre-Game Odds and Win Probability: Martinez Clear Favorite

We’ve scurried over to one of the most reputable US bookmakers to gauge how the bookmakers view things ahead of Martinez vs Vera. We’ve shared the latest pre-match betting odds to give you an idea of how things are shaping up.

  1. Marlon Vera: 11/5 (3.20) – 31.3% 

  2. David Martinez: 17/50 (1.34) – 74.6%
    *Odds courtesy of FanDuel, subject to change.

Tale of the Tape

As part of your prep for this fight, it’s worth tackling and crunching the stats of two fighters, in this case, Vera and Martinez. Some UFC bookmakers in the USA will do the groundwork for you, but we’ve made things easier by comparing the stats for Vera and Martinez in the form of a tale of the tape table.

Tale of the Tape

AttributeMarlon VeraDavid Martinez
Age3327
Height5’8 (173cm)5’5 (165cm)
Weight136lbs (61.7kg)135.5lbs (61.5kg)
Reach70.5” (179cm)67.5” (171cm)
Record23-11-113-1-0
KO/TKO8 Wins (35%)10 Wins (77%)
Submission10 Wins (43%)0 Wins (0%)
Decisions5 Wins (22%)3 Wins (23%)
Sportsboom Event Table Logo

Marlon Vera News

Nicknamed “Chito”, which translates as shy or quiet, that doesn’t seem apt to describe Vera, who is a fireball. The journeyman UFC star has contested 35 fights, and while his record perhaps isn’t the most stellar (23-11-1), he is a grappler, so he is happy to grind things out.

Vera has been involved in some bruising battles, and that included a split decision defeat to Aiemann Zahabi at a UFC Fight Night in October at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver. Indeed, Vera came out with some big kicks, especially in Round 3, and he started to use his hands to form some combinations. However, Zahabi got the nod from the judges to extend his winning run to seven fights.

Vera’s takedown defense stats (73%) make for good reading, and he will need to come firing out of the blocks if he’s going to upset Martinez.

David Martinez News

Martinez, who is often referred to as the “Doctor”, has been making serious progress over the past 12 months. He has been putting his opponents to the sword with some clinical displays, and it arguably comes as no surprise that close to 80% of his wins have come via TKO/KO.

The Mexican has his throng of fans, and he will be eager to put on a show on home soil. With eight wins chalked up in a row, Martinez has the bit between his teeth, and a strong performance against Vera could propel his push to contend for a title one day.

Time is on his side as he hasn’t hit his peak at 27, and he’s only lost once in UFC. It would be a mistake to underestimate Martinez based on his experience compared to Vera. Indeed, Martinez can be destructive, and a 47% striking accuracy record indicates he likes to dictate things early on, so watch out for some big combos thrown.

Suggested Bets

UFC betting sportsbooks will have a variety of lines for bettors to feast on, and we’ve handpicked some suggested bets for Vera vs Martinez.

  1. David Martinez to Win by TKO/KO: Undeniably, a clinical finisher, Martinez has made light work of his opponents. For example, against Saimon Oliviera, Martinez was quick with his combos, and a counter straight to the face punch flattened his opponent. If Martinez comes firing out of the blocks, a TKO/KO win is certainly feasible. (35/50 with BetMGM)

  2. Marlon Vera Over 0.5 Takedowns: Vera is no shrinking violet, and he will look to disrupt Martinez as much as possible. With a slightly better strike accuracy rate (48%), Vera will look to take the initiative as much as possible, and Over 0.5 takedowns is worth considering. (7/10 with Hard Rock Bet)

  3. Marlon Vera to Win by Submission: Vera will be eager to prove a point and silence his critics. Three straight defeats, which included a unanimous decision loss against Sean O’Malley, was slightly disheartening, but Vera has plenty of weapons in his armory. The bulk of his victories have come via submission, and a submission win for Vera could be on the cards. (37/50 with BetRivers)

Value Bets

To enhance your wagering experience, it’s also worth following up on some value online betting tips, and we’ve chosen a few for Vera vs Martinez.

  1. Fight to Go the Distance: Interestingly, Vera has been pushed the distance in each of his past eight bouts, while Martinez has also gone the full three rounds in two of his past three Octagon outings. It will be fascinating to see how Vera and Martinez cope with the occasion, and while Martinez will target a KO/TKO, this bout could turn out to be a war of attrition, so don’t overlook the fight to go the distance market. (4/1 with DraftKings)

  2. Total Under 2.5 Rounds: Vera and Martinez have fascinating fight styles, but both can land big shots. Neither will want to hang about, so Under 2.5 rounds has some value attached to it. (5/1 with Hard Rock Bet)

  3. David Martinez to Win by Decision: While it might seem at first glance that Martinez’s UFC career has been a breeze, this hasn’t always been the case. He’s been involved in some scrappy contests, and he will be looking to stifle Vera. If it’s a drawn-out contest, Martinez may have to dig deep, but he could prevail by decision. (5/1 with BetRivers)

Prediction: David Martinez to Win

David Martinez is in a rich vein of form, and he’s looking in good shape for this UFC Fight Night. As the home favourite, Martinez will be eager to live up to the hype and deliver a masterclass.

Of course, Marlon Vera may have something to say about that, and his experience shouldn’t be discounted. That said, Martinez, despite contending fewer fights than Vera, is perhaps a cannier pugilist. This could be a thrilling contest, but one where Martinez comes out on top.

Charles Perrin
Charles PerrinSports Writer

Charles Perrin has spent more than six years covering the world of sports betting, during which he has collaborated with some of the most recognised sportsbooks in the UK, including industry leaders such as bet365 and William Hill.