UFC bantamweight Marlon Vera can see former opponent Sean O’Malley stopping Merab Dvalishvili early when they square off at the Sphere.
O’Malley, the reigning 135-pound champion, is currently gearing up for his second defense of the title since winning it from Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in Boston last August. “Sugar” got his divisional rule underway in emphatic style this past March, dominantly outpointing “Chito” in their headlining rematch at UFC 299 in Miami.
Vera will be the first to return to action, battling Deiveson Figueiredo this Saturday in Abu Dhabi. The champ, meanwhile, is slated to put his gold on the line opposite Dvalishvili in the main event of UFC 306/Noche UFC.
O’Malley will look to stall the Georgian challenger’s title ambitions inside the unique surroundings of the Sphere on September 14. And should he connect with a shot early, Vera thinks he has a good chance of doing so…
Vera: O’Malley Could Finish Dvalishvili ‘If He Catches Him Early’
During his appearance at media day ahead of this weekend’s UFC Fight Night, Vera looked ahead to his opportunity to revive his title ambitions and commented on the next championship bout set for the 135-pound division.
After laying some heavy praise on his most recent opponent, the Ecuadorian gave a dismissive take on Dvalishvili, highlighting the knockdown he suffered opposite Henry Cejudo this past February as evidence he can be knocked out.
“(O’Malley’s) a great fighter. I would be more worried about Merab’s chin,” Vera said. “He’s been dropped by everybody. I mean, if you get dropped by Henry Cejudo, good lord. F*ck, that’s a f*cking four-foot motherf*cker right there. If he (O’Malley) catches him early, the fight could be over.”
O’Malley has shared a similar prediction, vowing to repeat the feat he achieved opposite Dvalishvili’s teammate in 2023 to deliver a statement-making second successful defense in Las Vegas this fall.
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