SAN ANTONIO – Marlon Vera doesn’t see much rhyme or reason to the way UFC title shots are decided these days. However, he thinks that probably plays to his advantage.
Vera (20-7-1 MMA, 14-6 UFC), who meets Cory Sandhagen (15-4 MMA, 8-3 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC on ESPN 43 headliner at AT&T Center on ESPN following prelims on ESPN+, is one of the more popular fighters in the bantamweight division, has a finish-heavy fighting style, a country behind him in Ecuador, and an attitude toward the fight game that personifies what the UFC should be about.
Currently riding a four-fight winning streak that includes knockouts of former champions Dominick Cruz and Frankie Edgar, “Chito” would likely put his case over the top if he beats Sandhagen. He’s not certain, though, because he knows UFC is not a meritocracy.
