After receiving a warning from newly-minted bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley earlier this week in regards to a potential title rematch at UFC 296 later this year, Ecuadorian contender, Marlon Vera has stressed that with his prior win over the incumbent, he is unmoved by mind games from the champion.
Vera, the current number six ranked bantamweight contender, opened the main card of UFC 292 last weekend in Boston, Massachusetts, landing a close, unanimous decision win over common-foe, Pedro Munhoz in ‘Bean Town’.
Atop that pay-per-view return to the TD Garden for the promotion, O’Malley struck undisputed bantamweight gold with a stunning second round ground strikes TKO win over dominant titleholder, Aljamain Sterling – defeating the Uniondale native with a second frame finish.
And in the immediate aftermath of his victory, O’Malley issued a call out to Vera for a title fight rematch at UFC 296 in December, before later claiming if the Chone native attempted to dictate his future, he would then switch focus to a defense against former two-weight champion, Henry Cejudo.
Marlon Vera remains cool on potential title rematch with Sean O’Malley
However, holding a prior knockout win over Dana White’s Contender Series alum, O’Malley, Vera has stressed that the proverbial ball is firmly in his court ahead of a speculated title re-run.
“He (Sean O’Malley) needs me, I don’t need him,” Marlon Vera told InsideFighting. “He’s the champion now. I already beat him, so he needs to get it back.” (Transcribed by MMA News)
Co-headlining UFC 252 against Montana striker, O’Malley back in the summer of 2020 at the UFC Apex facility, Vera handed the former his sole and still only professional mixed martial arts loss, finishing O’Malley with a slew of opening round ground strikes – after injuring the latter left leg with well-placed kicks.