The bantamweight division returns to center stage when Marlon Vera goes head-to-head with Dominick Cruz at the Pechanga Arena in San Diego on Saturday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+, with prelims at 4:30 p.m. ET on ESPN/ESPN+).
Vera, ranked No. 6 in ESPN's divisional rankings, is coming off a unanimous decision victory over Rob Font in April. Vera is riding a three-fight win streak. Cruz, ranked No. 10 in ESPN's rankings, notched a unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz in his prior bout at UFC 269 in December. Rising featherweight contenders Nate Landwehr and David Onama are set to fight in the co-main event. Onama has back-to-back finishes in his past two fights.
Marc Raimondi touched base Fortis MMA head coach Sayif Saud to get his perspective on the matchup in the main event and how things could play out inside the Octagon. ESPN's betting experts Ian Parker and Reed Kuhn added their insights and analysis for everything from the main event to some intriguing bets they like lower down the card.