Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera Grapple to a Draw at Hype Ecuador

Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera ran it back on Sunday night, just not the way most fans expected.

The former UFC featherweight champion and the longtime bantamweight contender headlined the Hype Fighting Championship Ecuador event on October 4 at Coliseo General Ruminahui in Quito. The format was a 10-minute submission-only grappling match. No strikes, no takedown points, no judges. Tap or draw.

Neither man tapped. The contest ended in a draw after time expired.

Vera produced the closest thing to a finish when he isolated Aldo's leg and worked toward a heel hook. Per MiddleEasy, Aldo stayed composed, worked through the entanglement and escaped before Vera could force the submission. Beyond that sequence, neither fighter found a serious path to a tap.

Aldo defeated Vera by unanimous decision in their first meeting at UFC Fight Night in December 2020. This grappling rematch carried no official stakes, but the competitive nature of the exchange reminded everyone that both men still have plenty left.

Vera recently picked up a victory over Charles Jourdain at UFC 331. Aldo, who stepped away from MMA competition, has been linked to potential boxing plans in 2027.