Fast-rising bantamweight Marlon Vera eyes New York to fight alongside 'idol' Georges St-Pierre

Ecuador’s Marlon Vera is the type of fighter who insists he’ll face anyone willing to sign the dotted line. But if he can offer the UFC a little advice on when and where he’d like to compete, “Chito” says UFC 217 in New York sounds just about right.

“I would love to fight in Vegas in a big show someday,” Vera told MMAjunkie. “That’s like the capital. That’s one of my goals – a big fight in Vegas. But also, I saw (Georges St-Pierre) is fighting Nov. 4 in Madison Square Garden. That’s the guy, that’s the reason I’m fighting today.

“That my biggest idol in life, my role model. He’s a guy that doesn’t talk too much, fights well, always looking good, never letting people talk about him doing dumb things. … He’s just a role model for me. It would be a huge dream for me, fighting on the same card.”

While it’s not official just yet, St-Pierre is expected to make his long-awaited comeback at UFC 217, which takes place Nov. 4 at Madison Square Garden. There, the former UFC welterweight champ is expected to face current middleweight title holder Michael Bisping for the 185-pound belt.

Vera said he’d be honored to compete at the event, where he would be looking to extend a current three-fight winning streak.

“I just want to keep this momentum going,” Vera said. “I want to keep active. I’m not the type of person that I’m thinking about who I beat before; that’s already gone for me. It’s everything from today to let’s see what happens tomorrow. I want to see who’s next, and I would love to fight one more time this year – even two more times. (Expletive), I’m down.”

Of course, Vera has proven thus far in his UFC career that he’s always willing to step in when asked, so don’t be surprised if you see him before UFC 217.

“You never know – this sport is crazy,” Vera said. “Sometimes, somebody gets injured, and everybody says, ‘Oh, I’m not ready. I’m not ready.’ For me, it’s different. If I’m in the gym, I’m ready.

“At the end of the day, it’s a fist fight. One punch can change everything.”

To hear more from Vera, check out the video above.

And for the latest on UFC 217, check out the UFC Rumors section of the site.