Marlon Vera is eyeing a spot on the UFC bantamweight rankings.

Tonight (July 22), Vera will step inside the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York. Sharing the Octagon with him will be Brian Kelleher. Speaking with MMAJunkie.com, Vera said a win could lead to a spot on the rankings:

“I feel if I beat this guy, I’m probably cracking the rankings. If I do, cool. If not, I don’t even care. I’ll just move forward to the next fight. I’m the only fighter from Ecuador. The math is easy. If I start doing good, they need to build the viewers in Latin America. So why can’t I get a title shot? I know I can speak. I know I have a good personality. I have to let them know. It doesn’t come on its own.”

He then said that begging for big match-ups and more opportunities isn’t his style.

“I think everything is just destiny and also the destiny you create. Some people are in a win streak, and they talk so much about how much they deserve a title. And the company doesn’t like that. There’s no boss in the world who likes that you’re begging for something.”