"He likes to have issues with his opponents" - Marlon Vera denies bad blood with Dominick Cruz

Dominick Cruz (left) and Marlon Vera (right) [Images courtesy of Getty]

Marlon Vera recently denied that there is any bad blood between him and Dominick Cruz. The duo are set to fight next month in the main event of a UFC Fight Night card.

However, the two are not friends and Vera stated that it's only normal as they are in the same weight class. The No.5-ranked bantamweight contender added that Cruz likes to have bad blood with his opponents ahead of fights and often tries to rile them up with his talking. The Ecuadorian said in his interview with 'The Schmo':

"I'm a professional, I'm not gonna act like a punk. But, realistically, he is my weight class. We're close to fighting each other. Why be friendly and all these stuff? I think he likes to have issues with his opponents. He had the same thing with TJ, Garbrandt. He's very smart talk, you know. He's a f**king idiot. We're gonna fight, we'll find out."

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

Marlon Vera vs. Dominick Cruz: A brief preview

Marlon Vera is coming off a dominant decision win against Rob Font in his last fight. 'Chito' weathered some early adversity and eventually made his way back into the contest to get his hand raised. The Ecuadorian's toughness was once again on display as he took Font's best shots without any major discomfort.

Dominick Cruz, meanwhile, is coming off a win against Pedro Munhoz in his last fight at UFC 269. The former champion was rocked by his opponent multiple times at the start of the contest. However, he ultimately found his rhythm and put on an impressive performance to get a second successive win.

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'Chito' is currently the No.5-ranked bantamweight contender with Cruz sitting at No.8. The winner of this fight might find themselves in a No.1 contender's fight next.

Dominick Cruz is widely regarded as the greatest bantamweight of all time. He will want to have another shot at the title. However, a win against Marlon Vera is essential for that to happen. 'Chito' himself is keen on getting his first title shot and is on a three-fight win streak at the moment.