Marlon Vera confident he can "stop" Petr Yan and earn a bantamweight title shot

Marlon Vera is confident that a victory over Petr Yan will be enough to earn him his first title shot. Vera is on a three-fight winning streak that includes an impressive Performance of the Night victory over Frankie Edgar and a Fight of the Night decision win against Rob Font.

Speaking to The Schmo, Marlon Vera believes he's earned the right to face former champion Petr Yan. Yan called out the Ecuadorian fighter when he defeated Rob Font. When asked about his title aspirations, the newly ranked No.5 bantamweight said:

"We're right there. We're literally one win away to fight for that belt. I hope that we get it done with Yan. I think that's the path to the belt. No.1 Contender. We kick his a** and we move forward... If I stop Yan, I get a title shot. "

Petr Yan remains the No.1-ranked bantamweight despite two losses to champion Aljamain Sterling. A former champ, Yan originally lost the belt to Sterling due to an illegal knee and was disqualified. The two fighters met again at UFC 273 where 'Funk Master' walked away victorious again, this time via split-decision.

A win for Marlon Vera over the No.1 ranked 'No Mercy' will almost certainly guarantee a title shot.

Watch Marlon 'Chito' Vera talk to The Schmo here:

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Marlon Vera believes Dominick Cruz is avoidng him

In the same interview with 'The Schmo', Vera was asked if he saw himself fighting former bantamweight champion Dominick Cruz. Vera has called for a fight with Cruz repeatedly, but 'The Dominator' declined because 'Chito' was ranked much lower at the time.

Now ranked No.5 and Cruz No.8, Vera is still open to the fight but admits he believes Cruz still doesn't want to fight him:

"Domnick is always talking about me. You know, he doesn't want to do it. He doesn't want the smoke. So he doesn't get it. We move forward. Yan wants it so he gets it."

'Chito's rise in the bantamweight division has shaken things up exponentially. The returning Henry Cejudo, who seems destined for the title shot, even admitted it may be difficult due to Vera's recent run.

A victory over Petr Yan for Marlon Vera would be the biggest win of his fighting career. Vera has fought in elite competition in the past, losing out to Jose Aldo. Since then, he has put together a streak of three impressive victories and looks better every time he steps into the octagon.