"Through MMA, I was able to get the surgery" - Marlon Vera reveals how fighting in the UFC prelims helped put a smile on his daughter's face

UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera shared a deeply personal story in his recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri for CBS Sports.

At one point during the over 30 minute conversation, 'Chito' talked about his daughter Ana Paula and the impact her birth had on his life:

"When my daughter was born, that was the turning point for me... When I saw her, especially with the condition she had, I was like, 'I cannot let this kid down'... I will say I owe everything to that kid because when she came into my life I just changed everything around me for her. Like everything I say, [that] I wanna live like an athlete, all that is because that kid was born. I was like, 'Okay, I can't f**k this up."

Vera's daughter suffers from a rare condition called Moebius syndrome. It is a rare birth defect that has an impact on the muscles responsible for facial expressions and eye movements.

In the interview, 'Chito' also spoke about the allegations against Dana White of underpaying his fighters.

The 29-year-old said that he was earning $8000 to show and $8,000 to win while fighting on the prelims of UFC cards. According to Vera, this was a huge amount for him at the time. The sum helped him save money for his daughter's surgery so that she could have a smile on Paula's face:

"Through MMA, I was able to get the surgery. When you're fighting in the prelims for [$8000 to show and $8,000 to win]... It was what I was making when I signed with the UFC, which is, it's f**king a lot... These days, everybody's complaining about pay and everybody's like, 'Oh, Dana's rich and fighters are poor.' Dana wasn't born rich. Dana become rich because of how hard he worked."

You can watch the full interview below:

---

Marlon Vera will take on Dominick Cruz on August 13

The UFC event on August 13 will take place in San Diego and will be headlined by a five-round bantamweight clash between Marlon Vera and Dominick Cruz.

Cruz currently holds the No.8 spot in the UFC bantamweight rankings while 'Chito' is ranked fifth on the same list.

Marlon Vera is also on a three-fight win streak in the UFC. The streak includes impressive victories over Rob Font and MMA veteran Frankie Edgar. A win over former UFC champion on August 13 could possibly put him next in line for a title shot.