Marlon Vera vows to be a "great champion" once he captures bantamweight gold

The recent confusion surrounding the bantamweight division has frustrated Marlon Vera. This has forced him to share his belief that, unlike those currently at the top of the division, he will be an active champion if he ever manages to capture 135lb gold.

Aljamain Sterling is at the helm, and although he fought twice last year following neck surgery, he is once again suffering from an injury that ruled him out of action for months. With the division at a standstill, top competitors in the weight class have begun voicing their concerns about the titleholder.

During a recent interview, Marlon Vera claimed that once he manages to secure the bantamweight title, he will be a "great champion" who will always welcome the rightful number one contender into the octagon, saying:

"The only thing I said before and I will say it again [is] I'm gonna be a great champion. I'm gonna fight whoever is next in line, I'm not playing games, and I'm not gonna start acting like all these guys.

"They get the belt, they start acting like f***ing b**ches. Get the belt, be a f***ing savage, be a f***ing king... Anderson Silva, BJ Penn, Georges St-Pierre, they did it like that. They got the belt, they fought number one, they kicked their a**es, that's why they're greats now.

"Today's champions probably won't be that great because now they're petty little b**ches."

It's not just 'Chito' that has voiced his annoyance at the uncertainty surrounding the title, with Sean O'Malley too wanting to know whether Aljamain Sterling is fit enough to compete or if he is able to fight for the interim championship instead.

Check out what Marlon Vera has to say about what type of champion he will be in the video below.

---

When is Marlon Vera fighting next?

After his nose-crushing knockout of Dominick Cruz, which extended his win streak to four, Marlon Vera has been given the opportunity to compete in his third straight UFC Fight Night main event later this year.

On February 18, the Ecuadorian will be welcomed into the octagon by fan-favorite Cory Sandhagen in a bantamweight clash that is certain to produce fireworks from the first exchange.

Both men have a chance to put on a great display and could potentially leapfrog other contenders and earn themselves a title shot as the confusion in the 135lb division continues.