BOSTON – Technically speaking, [autotag]Pedro Munhoz[/autotag] is fighting on short notice this Saturday. Henry Cejudo was Marlon Vera’s original opponent for UFC 292, but when Cejudo withdrew roughly six weeks ago, Munhoz got the call to step in.
Without hesitation, Munhoz (20-7 MMA, 10-7 UFC) answered it, and now he’s got a big opportunity facing bantamweight title contender Vera (20-8-1 MMA, 14-7 UFC) on a night that 135-pound champion Aljamain Sterling puts his belt on the line against Sean O’Malley.
“It’s a lot of expectation going into the fight,” Munhoz told MMA Junkie and other reporters Wednesday at UFC 292 media day.
Munhoz, 36, was a top bantamweight contender not so long ago after viciously knocking out former champ Cody Garbrandt in March 2019. But since that big victory, Munhoz has gone 2-4 with one no contest from an accidental eye poke in a fight with O’Malley.
But entering UFC 292, Munhoz is coming off a dominant, clean-sweep unanimous decision win over Chris Gutierrez this past April. A win over Vera could do wonders for the direction of Munhoz’s career.
“All my fights speak for themselves. It’s really important to also showcase that I’m still here and strong,” Munhoz said. “All my previous fights have spoken for themselves, and this is no different. It’s gonna be a lot of eyes on us. It’s a big card. The bantamweight title is gonna be on display that night. I believe an impressive victory over ‘Chito’ is gonna even push me forward towards the goal, so let’s see.”
Vera, who’s coming off a split decision loss to Cory Sandhagen in March, is as tough as they come in the bantamweight division, and Munhoz is expecting nothing short of a “dog fight.”
“Very durable guy. I don’t think he’s ever been finished in one of his fights. Myself, too, I’ve never been knocked out or finished,” Munhoz said. “We both like to go and exchange and bring some type of dog fight, which nowadays a lot of people try to play it more safe. ‘Chito’ and I, we don’t give a f*ck. We just go for war.”
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For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 292.