A fascinating bantamweight matchup between rising prospect Sean O’Malley and surging Mexican contender Alejandro Perez could potentially be in the works for UFC 229 on Oct. 6 from inside T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, according to a recent report by MMAjunkie.
The bout is not official at this time as Perez must first get medical clearance before anything is finalized.
O’Malley, 23, has quickly turned into one of the more popular fighters on the UFC roster since making his debut late last year. The marijuana advocate is coming off a huge decision win over talented prospect Andre Soukhamthath back at UFC 222, pushing his professional mixed martial arts (MMA) record to 10-0 (2-0 UFC). “Sugar” had to endure foot surgery after his UFC 222 victory but is back to full health and ready to close out 2018 in a big way.
Perez, 28, has quietly become one of the most productive and consistent fighters at 135 pounds over the past few years. The former Ultimate Fighter: Brazil winner has put together an impressive 7-1-1 record since stepping inside of the Octagon for the first time in 2014. The winner of his four, Perez could quickly ascend from his No. 12 ranking in the bantamweight division if he can take out a high-profile youngster like O’Malley.
UFC 229 will be headlined by a lightweight title fight pitting current champion Khabib Nurmagomedov against Irish superstar Conor McGregor.
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