Jose Aldo escapes heel hook, grappling match with Marlon Vera ends in draw

Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera battled to a draw in a submission-only grappling match Sunday night in Quito, Ecuador, at Hype. The 10-minute contest saw Vera, competing in his native country for the first time since 2012, spend the opening five minutes hunting for a takedown while Aldo held position in the corner. When Vera eventually called Aldo to the center, the former UFC champion elected to pull guard. The match's only significant threat came when Vera attempted a heel hook, but Aldo successfully escaped the submission attempt, forcing the bout to conclude without a finish.

Aldo holds prior history with Vera from their 2020 UFC encounter, which the Brazilian won by decision. This grappling draw now adds another chapter to their rivalry outside the traditional MMA ruleset. The result continues Aldo's competitive output in submission grappling as he explores different competitive formats in the latter stages of his career.

In the card's co-main event, former UFC interim welterweight champion Colby Covington was replaced at the 11th hour by Juan Albarello in a submission-only match against local fighter Mayton Perea. Hype did not explain Covington's withdrawal. Albarello made quick work of Perea, who had recently signed with the UFC following a 45-second knockout victory at Dana White's Contender Series in September, submitting him via foot americana in just over two minutes.