New York, NY — The UFC bantamweight division is one of the busiest in MMA coming off an interim title bout at UFC 267, and the action continues at UFC 268 with Marlon “Chito” Vera taking on MMA legend Frankie Edgar at Madison Square Garden.
For Vera the goal is clear: with so many high-level fighters at 135 pounds he knows it will take something impressive to realize his dream of UFC gold.
“I feel that title dream, putting that belt around my waist, is just a matter of time. Winning the right fights and putting on performances,” Vera told media outlets including Cageside Press during Wednesday’s UFC 268 media day. “I don’t think the UFC is looking for ‘almost a win’. They’re looking for shocking performances and that’s what I’ve been doing in my career.”
Vera will see Edgar on the opposite side of the octagon with years of experience but also years of wear-and-tear having the most octagon time of any fighter in UFC history.
“He has all the time but he also has all the damage. At the end of the day you know I cannot expect him to just fall with one punch. Because if I go with that mental game he might take it. And then what? Then you’re lost because your biggest weapon, one punch, didn’t work right. So I see this fight playing on my head like, dirty, bloody, hard, and I’m ready for that. I know I can be there so I’m not worried about that. Saturday night you guys will see a better me. I said it and I will say it again, it will not go three rounds.”
One of Vera’s biggest wins in the UFC came over up-and-comer Sean O’Malley who doesn’t recognize the bout as a loss. Vera couldn’t care less what his former opponent thinks.
“Well again, I said it many times before, we are in the times where everything is clout. Everything is like what you say, who you hang out with. I don’t give a sh*t what he says. I knocked him out. You can say whatever you want. You can make fun of it. At the end of the day he’s going to bed every night knowing I put him out. We can talk crazy sh*t you know? I can use my social media and just say crazy sh*t and I know people will like that. But I keep it real. I like to be real. I like to say facts and I earned everything I have in my life by going forward and going hard.”
“So he can go f*ck himself.”
Marlon Vera takes on Frankie Edgar on the main card of UFC 268 Saturday November 6 at MSG.
Watch the full UFC 268 media day appearance from Marlon “Chito” Vera above. More coverage of the event can be found below. UFC 268 takes place Saturday November 6 at Madison Square Garden in New York, NY.