Marlon Vera believes his fight with Jose Aldo tonight at UFC Vegas 17 is a crossroads fight for the both of them.
Marlon Vera is presently at the bottom of the bantamweight rankings at #15, but with a victory over Jose Aldo, he will glide into the division’s top 10. Jose Aldo is 0-2 in the bantamweight division but is currently ranked #7. What is an even more significant fact for Marlon Vera is that Aldo just competed for the bantamweight championship in his most recent fight. Therefore, Marlon Vera believes that a win over Aldo would put a title shot in his not-too-distant plans.
“Yeah, 100 percent – that’s the idea of asking for one of these fights,” Vera told MMA Junkie. “A victory over someone like him, it puts me directly in line to fight for the belt.
“He was coming off a title fight, which on the business end, if I beat someone who’s coming off a title loss, that puts me in line. We asked for (Aldo), (Frankie) Edgar or (Dominick) Cruz, and I got him. So I’m happy about the opportunity. I’m prepared, and I can’t wait to do my job.”
Despite Jose Aldo’s ranking, Vera considers the fact that Aldo is currently winless at bantamweight to be evidence that he is on the decline. Meanwhile, Marlon Vera has won six of his last seven fights. Tonight at UFC Vegas 17, either Jose Aldo will prove that he is still an elite fighter worthy of a ranking near the top of the division or Marlon Vera will show Aldo and the rest of the world that it’s his time now.
“This is the opportunity that you ask for when you win a big fight and you’re in a position to see what you can get,” Vera said. “It’s a fight of styles. He’s on his way down, I’m on my way up, and we’re meeting in the middle. He either stays up or I go up, so one of us is going out on top, and I’m hoping that’s me.”
What is your prediction for tonight’s co-main event between Jose Aldo and Marlon Vera at UFC Vegas 17?
