In the octagon, the manabita fighter Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera He is fierce, tireless, aggressive and tenacious. But when talking with MAGAZINE He is perceived as calm, but very specific and direct in his comments.
The Ecuadorian athlete, based in the United States, visited Ecuador at the end of April to officially present his brand of sports supplements. Chito’s Pulse, which includes two pre-workout powders and creatine monohydrate. It is also the image of a charity campaign for children with cancer of the Being Happy Foundation, in Guayaquil. This is an auction of the practice clothing that the mixed martial arts (MMA) athlete wore before his last fight, against Sean O’Malley. Bidding will be open until May 31.
“I always wanted to launch my brand of sports supplements, with products that I use on a daily basis, that help me have better physical performance. Why not share that with Ecuador?”
In our dialogue, Chito seems like a person who doesn’t beat around the bush, he doesn’t like to think too much about his answers. He clarifies that he does not consider himself elusive, he does not agree with that term. “It sounds like I hide my roots from Ecuador or am against my own people, which, as far as I know, is not the case. I am one of the athletes who is always wearing the Ecuador shirt and I am always aware of other athletes,” says the Chone native.
“If you think I am elusive because I don’t get to Ecuador more than once a year, (know that) it is difficult because of the preparation that a fighter entails. It’s not like other sports, that have a preseason, that know that in the next three months they are not going to compete, they can do other types of disciplines, they can relax their body… It’s not that I live in Miami, that all Ecuadorians of class high, medium and even low with a visa they can go. I live in California, it is a much further trip, one can even say more expensive and more complicated.”
Indeed, Chito Vera did not avoid any of our questions about her health, her family and especially how she is feeling these days after the most massive of her matches, UFC 299, which took place in Miami in March.
‘Chito’ Vera auctions off his training clothes for children with cancer
Has Chito’s Pulse been your secret for your sports performance?
It helps me get off to a strong start, so that my blood is more oxygenated and obviously creatine helps a lot to maintain muscle mass, to have strength, which is needed in my case.
Speaking of physical health, how have you evolved after your medical suspension?
I’m fine, I had no injuries, fractures or bruises. I am leading a healthy life, with my diet, with everything I need to do to prepare to fight. I recover very quickly.
What is your life like when you’re not preparing for a fight?
I am always in a certain way preparing for what may come. I train every day, I have a work regimen, and on the weekends I do a lot of cardio. At the end of the day comes this human part, I have my children and my wife at home, these are the things that maybe are not always on social networks, because sometimes it is not good, with these times, and I don’t like to publish a lot of the family. But I have the life of any other normal person.
What place does sport have in your family?
Not really a big one, because I don’t come from a family of athletes and neither do my children, so far, are not 100% dedicated to a sport. I simply liked the fight and I dedicated myself to this.
And what place does your family have in your sports career?
Well, the biggest place. They are my motivation, my inspiration, the desire to move forward and obviously show that it is possible, with a lot of sacrifice and a lot of work.
The emotional dedication of María Paulina Escobar, wife of Chito Vera, to her children
How do you explain to your children what their dad does for a living?
At the beginning it was easy, because I didn’t have to explain to them, but now that they are older I do have to explain to them why people greet me in the supermarket, why they ask me for photos on the street, why people get very excited when they see me. . More than anything I want them to feel, that they have to know, that I reached this point in my life with all the sacrifice in the world. That there is a cloud (fame), but not only focus on that, that it is only the moment, but the most important thing is how I got there.
How do you rate the reaction of the Ecuadorians in your last fight (UFC 299 in Miami)?
The part that hurt me the most was not being able to win the belt with a reception like that, but life gives you revenge and I’m still among the best five in the world. The company is happy with my job and I will just keep working.
Are there friends in the world of MMA, which active fighters are you friends with?
I’m friends with some veterans, I train with Luke Rockhold. You can say that friends, Luke, I see it every day. From there I know many, but at least in my weight I try not to have friends.
Who is better, Chef Chi or Chito Right?
Both are world quality. I specialize in meats, in all types of cuts, and when I cook meat, no one looks bad. From there I try to experiment a lot, sometimes I do something I’ve never done before. I just watch the steps on YouTube and see how it comes out.
How do you handle reactions to your political endorsements? For your brother, former candidate for Mayor of Chone for the Citizen Revolution and for your friendship with President Daniel Noboa.
In terms of political parties, with Daniel Noboa it was because he is a friend and, on the other hand, there was my brother. I could have easily told them both “I don’t want anything, I want to keep my name clean.” But if you have to get dirty, in quotes, because I don’t get dirty, I’m not doing anything wrong, for a friend or a family member… The public’s opinion really doesn’t have to change much what I think or what I am. People who know me know my opinion about the opinion of others.
How did your relationship with Daniel Noboa arise?
He also trained, we got to know each other a couple of times through training, we started training together and there came a time when a friendship became. He began to support my career monetarily, to sponsor me… At that time he already had a daughter, I had to do the math, I had no money and I also decided not to go to university, because I was not born for that. I wanted to look for it in fights. He worked part time and trained the other half of the day. We made a good friendship. I went to the United States nine years ago, we kept in touch. He always wishes me good luck, when it’s my turn to fight, we talk. When he ran for president, I wrote to him and told him that I wished him the best and that if he needed anything, he should let me know.
How is your eldest daughter, Ana Paula, currently?
It’s okay, he’s going to school. Hers was something more aesthetic (she was born in 2011 with Mobius syndrome). He is doing very well and is growing very well.
‘I’m not fighting just for money’: the inspiration of ‘Chito’ Vera and who really dedicated himself to martial arts
How was the problem of the robbery of your house resolved, do you think they did it to lower your spirits in the fight in March?
It is difficult to accuse someone I know or my opponent. I think it happened because my house appeared in several large media outlets when they went to film before the fight. I’m not saying that it was his responsibility, but in the videos the entrance to my house appears, even though I don’t put the address, the house number, the street, appears. He who wants to find it, he finds it. The whole world knew that I was in Miami for at least two weeks and the robbery was the day before the fight. I woke up that day with emotions in a fight, with nerves, and the police called me to tell me that they were stealing my safe, with my personal documents and my collection of watches. That is one of my passions and anyone who knows about watches knows that I lost a lot of money. I tried to deal with it as best I could, ignore it, repeat to myself “I’m just making up for what I lost with the belt.” I imagine that in some way something affected me, but I don’t make excuses. I lost because of my imposing.
You’re still young to retire, but have you thought about your professional future outside of MMA?
I am 31 years old and I am convinced that I want to give my all. I want to be champion in the next year and a half, I want to defend that belt and I want to leave the sport healthy at 37 years old and get on with my life. I have many passions, like cooking, and one day I will have my own cafe. With lots of coffee, delicious desserts and lots of art around. It will be a very good thing. (AND)
