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Report: Rivera vs. Vera targeted for UFC 247

Jeff Bottari / UFC / Getty

Marlon Vera is getting a big step up in competition for his next bout.

A bantamweight fight between "Chito" and Jimmie Rivera is in the works for UFC 247 on Feb. 8 in Houston, multiple sources told MMA Junkie's Nolan King.

Rivera and Vera were briefly linked to a fight with each other in January 2017. Vera agreed to it on short notice when Rivera's original opponent fell off the card, but Rivera declined the matchup, citing Vera's low standing in the division.

"I don’t know what to think of this guy," Vera told Bloody Elbow after Rivera turned him down in 2017. "The only thing I know is this guy is not professional."

Vera called Rivera out in October and vowed to end his career.

Rivera, ranked No. 7 in the division, is riding a two-fight skid with losses to Petr Yan and Aljamain Sterling. His last win was a decision over John Dodson in September 2018. "El Terror" saw his 20-fight winning streak come to an end last year when he faced off with Marlon Moraes, losing by knockout early into the first round.

Vera is coming off a third-round TKO of Andre Ewell at UFC Tampa in October. The Ecuador native, the 14th-ranked bantamweight, is riding a five-fight winning streak.

UFC 247 will be headlined by a light heavyweight title fight between champion Jon Jones and Dominick Reyes. In the co-feature, women's flyweight champ Valentina Shevchenko meets Katlyn Chookagian.

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