Marlon Vera is ready to let the cards land where they will.
The UFC bantamweight division is filled with killers. The title picture was supposed to be a bit clearer after the UFC 280 event, but it seems to have gotten murkier. Champion Aljamain Sterling has successfully defended his belt against TJ Dillashaw and has openly welcomed all contenders, the problem is who is rightfully next?
On that same card as Sterling fans saw Sean O’Malley defeat former champion and number-one-ranked fighter Petr Yan. Logically this would put O’Malley at number one or near the top of the division. He wants the title fight but so do a few other fighters such as former champion Henry Cejudo and number five-ranked Marlon Vera. Vera has won four in a row against top opponents but is leaving the matchmaking up to the UFC.
“Honestly right now there’s a couple clear contenders out there, it’s more who they want to do it, how they want to do it. So, those things we just don’t know. We don’t have those answers and you know, I can go crazy online and kind of like raise a little smoke but I’d rather just smoke it rather then raise it, you know,” he said on The MMA Hour. “I’m not really wasting energy on that, and I think I really believe me and the UFC are cool. I think they’re gonna do the right thing. Yeah, even if it’s not for the title, they will give me the right fight, number one contender and I will see what happens.”
Marlon Vera reveals he was offered a fight with Cory Sandhagen
Vera is patiently waiting for his next assignment. He feels he deserves a title shot but will entertain other offers. He said the UFC came to him with a fight he would describe as a number-one contender bout against Cory Sandhagen but Sandhagen turned it down.
“Cory has been calling me and then they offer us to fight November 5 Because the main event got something happened in that main event and he didn’t accept the fight. So why you f–king call me out Cory Sandhagen and then you’re like, I don’t know, you don’t have time to make weight, to get ready but don;t call another man out and then don’t be able to dance and those are facts,” he said. “And it was a sexy offer because it wasn’t short notice and I was like fu-k yeah, I’m ready,let’s go that’s clearly number one contender and then my guy Cory, I don’t know what happened maybe something’s going on, he’s a liar, who knows right? I cannot talk for a guy I don’t know but you just don’t fucking call me out if you don’t want to take the bout.
Sandhagen had been asking for a fight with Vera, but apparently, the date was not to his liking. Sandhagen is currently sitting in the number four spot on the rankings, right ahead of Vera. Sandhagen lost an interim title shot to Petr Yan back in October of last year but came back earlier this year with a win over Song Yadong.
