BJ Penn praises Marlon Vera ahead of UFC 292 fight with Pedro Munhoz: “He does have all the championship qualities”

UFC Hall of Famer BJ Penn has popped up on the latest episode of Embedded to praise Marlon Vera ahead of his fight this weekend.

Following on from his decisive loss to Cory Sandhagen earlier this year, Marlon Vera has had to go back to the drawing board. He’s still a top contender, but adjustments need to be made. He’s set to return at UFC 292 this Saturday night in Boston, with his original opponent being Henry Cejudo. Unfortunately, ‘Triple C’ had to pull out, meaning Pedro Munhoz has now stepped in as a replacement.

RELATED: PEDRO MUNHOZ STEPS IN FOR HENRY CEJUDO AGAINST MARLON VERA AT UFC 292

‘Chito’ is set to have many fans backing him as he tries to get back in the win column. As it turns out, that includes MMA legend BJ Penn, who was in California this week to bid farewell to Vera before he heads to Boston.

Penn praises Vera

“I always train with Chito, but this time, he took care of this by himself. He’s a big boy now, you know? Contender. He does have the championship qualities and what it is, is the work ethic. He wants it.”

Having someone like BJ Penn on your side is always going to be a confidence booster. In equal measure, Marlon Vera knows that the priority in the next few days is getting his final preparations just right.

He’s certainly the favorite to defeat Munhoz and get his title campaign back on track. Still, in a game like this, you can’t afford to take anyone lightly.

Were you excited to see BJ pop up on the latest episode of Embedded? How do you think Marlon Vera will perform when he returns against Pedro Munhoz? Will he fight for a title one day? Let us know, BJPENN Nation!