Tag: Marlon Vera

Sean O’Malley vows to finish rival Marlon Vera at UFC 299: ‘I’m putting his lights out inside three rounds’

Sean O'Malley vows to stop Marlon Vera at UFC 299 I'll put him away inside three roundsUndisputed bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley has vowed to turn in a dominant victory over incoming title chaser and former…

Sean O'Malley vows to stop Marlon Vera at UFC 299 I'll put him away inside three rounds

Undisputed bantamweight champion, Sean O’Malley has vowed to turn in a dominant victory over incoming title chaser and former foe, Marlon Vera in their title rematch at UFC 299 later this month – predicting a finish of the Ecuadorian inside just three rounds in Miami, Florida.

O’Malley, the current undisputed bantamweight champion, has been sidelined since he headlined UFC 292 back in August of last year in Boston, snatching the divisional crown in a stunning second round KO win over record-setting champiion, Aljamain Sterling. 

On that same card, the aforenoted, Vera turned in his own triumph, in the form of decision success against common-foe, Pedro Munhoz – earning him a rematch with Montana native, O’Malley.

First fighting back in 2020 at the UFC Apex facility, O’Malley suffered his first and only professional defeat so far, with Vera landing a first round ground strikes TKO win. 

Sean O’Malley vows to stop Marlon Vera in UFC 299 title fight

Headlining UFC 299 later this month at the Kaseya Center in ‘The Sunshine State’, O’Malley has vowed to avenge that beating at the hands of Chone native, Vera – and in quite resounding fashion in the form of a knockout win inside 15 minutes.

“He’s (Marlon Vera) kinda peaked – I’m better than this due,” Sean O’Malley told MMA Fighting. “I’m going to go out there and do what I was about to do to him [back in 2020], and put his lights out. He’s good, he’s tought, he’s very durable, but that doesn’t get the job done against me. You can’t just be tough, you can’t just be durable. I believe I’m more skilled, faster, more accurate, and I’m going to go out there and I just feel confident standing in front of him.”

“Mentally, physically, emotionally, I’m preparing for 25 minutes,” Sean O’Malley explained. “I’m preparing to leave there limping, leave there sore, leave there with my hand hurt from his head. SO – preparing for the worst, but realistically, I’m putting this dude’s lights out within three [rounds].” 

Do you expect Sean O’Malley to avenge his loss to Marlon Vera at UFC 299?

Dana White confirms Merab Dvalishvili will fight for the bantamweight title following UFC 298 win

Merab DvalishviliMerab Dvalishvili will face the winner of next month’s bantamweight title tilt between reigning champion ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley and…

Merab Dvalishvili

Merab Dvalishvili will face the winner of next month’s bantamweight title tilt between reigning champion ‘Sugar’ Sean O’Malley and No. 6 ranked contender Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.

‘The Machine’ earned his 10th straight victory at UFC 298 on Saturday night, scoring a decisive unanimous decision victory over former two-division champion Henry Cejudo. Following the evening’s festivities, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed that Dvalishvili will be next in line for a shot at the 135-pound crown.

“He looked good tonight, man,” White said at the post-fight press event. “He did what he had (to do). In my opinion, you can’t take three years off in a combat sport. It’s never done well for anybody. Cejudo looked great in the first round. I thought he started to gas out in the second round. Merab just got stronger as the fight went on.”

Dana White reveals why cejudo didn’t get the mic following his loss to dvalishvili

As for Cejudo, the 2008 Olympic gold medalist vowed to retire should he come up short against Dvalishvili inside Anaheim’s Honda Center. By all accounts, ‘Triple C’ will stand by his words, but he was not given the opportunity to address the crowd following his loss.

“Henry Cejudo already retired,” White replied when asked why Cejudo did not get a post-fight interview. “He did the whole drop the gloves thing. Tonight was Merab’s night. Merab went in there and fought the No. 3 guy in the world — a former world champion — and he won easily. Tonight was Merab’s night. If he wants to retire again, he could do that here or somewhere else. You don’t give the mic to Cejudo — tonight was Merab’s night.”

If this truly is the end for Henry Cejudo (again), ‘Triple C’ will close out his career by going 10-4 under the UFC banner and 16-4 overall. As a former bantamweight, flyweight, and Olympic champion, Cejudo will be remembered as one of the greatest combat sports athletes of all time.

Bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley predicts a spectacular finish against Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera at UFC 299

Sean O'Malley and Marlon 'Chito' VeraSean O’Malley shared his prediction for how he sees things playing out in his impending UFC title tilt with…

Sean O'Malley and Marlon 'Chito' Vera

Sean O’Malley shared his prediction for how he sees things playing out in his impending UFC title tilt with top-ten-ranked contender Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera.

As announced by UFC CEO Dana White, O’Malley will put his bantamweight world title on the line when the promotion returns to the Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida for UFC 299. The bout will serve as a rematch more than three years in the making.

Meeting in August 2020, ‘Sugar’ suffered his first, and thus far, only defeat inside the Octagon after injuring his leg in the opening round against Vera.

After scoring an impressive second-round knockout to claim the 135-pound crown from former champ Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292, Sean O’Malley’s first wish was to run it back with Vera and set right a blemish on his record that he still refuses to acknowledge.

Taking to social media, ‘Sugar’ offered up a prediction for when things will end between the two bantamweight stars this spring.

“I’ll stop Chito in the 3rd or 4th,” O’Malley wrote on X.

Is Sean O’Malley vs. ‘Chito’ Vera 2 the right fight to make?

Since coming up short against Vera at UFC 251, Sean O’Malley has rattled off five-straight wins, all but one of them coming by way of knockout. By comparison, ‘Chito’ Vera has gone 5-2 during the same timeframe with two finishes. Vera lost a closely contested split decision against Cory Sandhagen in March but bounced back with a unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz on the same night that O’Malley captured the bantamweight title.

Fans were initially critical of O’Malley’s decision to pursue a fight with Vera when there are far more deserving contenders in the division awaiting their shot. Most notably, Merab Dvalishvili who is currently riding a nine-fight win streak and thoroughly dominated former titleholder Petr Yan in his last Octagon outing.

Dvalishvili will meet former two-division titleholder Henry Cejudo at UFC 298 in a bout that could potentially serve as a title eliminator.

Sean O’Malley predicts blistering win over Marlon Vera in UFC 299 title fight rematch: ‘I’m gonna smoke this dude’

Sean O'Malley predicts win over Marlon Vera in UFC 299 title rematch I'm gonna smoke this dudeNow officially booked to defend his undisputed bantamweight championship against former-foe, Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March of…

Sean O'Malley predicts win over Marlon Vera in UFC 299 title rematch I'm gonna smoke this dude

Now officially booked to defend his undisputed bantamweight championship against former-foe, Marlon Vera at UFC 299 in March of next year, divisional titleholder, Sean O’Malley remains supremely confident of defeating the Ecuadorian in the pair’s rematch, claiming he will “smoke” his long-time rival.

O’Malley the current undisputed bantamweight champion, headlined UFC 292 back in August of this year in Boston, Massachusetts, defeating long-time gold holder, Aljamain Sterling in a spectacular second round knockout win over over the Uniondale native.

On that same card, Chone contender, Vera earned his title fight with O’Malley off the back of a close decision win over Pedro Munhoz, returning to winning ways following a one-sided decision loss to perennial contender and former interim title challenger, Cory Sandhagen in a San Antonio main event clash.

Sean O’Malley predicts victory over Marlon Vera in UFC 299 rematch

Holding a 2020 win over O’Malley – Vera is the sole fighter in mixed martial arts to defeat the Dana White’s Contender Series product, however, the former is confident of putting TKO wrongs right this time around, predicting a stoppage win in March.

“I want that fight,” Sean O’Malley told MMA Fighting. “It’s just perfect. I feel like it’s perfect timing. After that first fight, everyone was like, ‘You gotta get that rematch, you gotta get that rematch.’ And I said, ‘I’ll get that rematch when I want that, when it’s time. When it’s time for the that rematch, I’m going to call for it and I’ll get it.’ I could’ve gotten that rematch whenever I wanted. I was like, it’s not the right time yet. Now is the right time, so I’m just very excited about that fight.”

“I don’t want to talk him down too much, because I’ve got to build a fight,” Sean O’Malley continued. “But I’m going to smoke this dude.” 

Who wins in their UFC 299 title fight rematch: Sean O’Malley or Marlon Vera?

Breaking – Sean o’Malley set for UFC 299 title fight rematch against Marlon Vera in March grudge match

Sean O'Malley set to fight Marlon Vera in UFC 299 title rematch in MarchAn undisputed bantamweight championship between division gold holder, Sean O’Malley, and the current number six ranked contender, Marlon Vera…

Sean O'Malley set to fight Marlon Vera in UFC 299 title rematch in March

An undisputed bantamweight championship between division gold holder, Sean O’Malley, and the current number six ranked contender, Marlon Vera is slated to feature at UFC 299 in March, as the two meet in a rematch. At the time of publication, an official location, date, or venue for thew flagship event has yet to be determined at the time of publication.

Headlining UFC 292 back in August, Montana native, O’Malley struck undisputed bantamweight gold with a spectacular second round win over Aljamain Sterling – defeating the Uniondale native with a stunning knockout win in his first headlining outing under the banner of the organization. 

Sean O’Malley vs. Marlon Vera 2 set to feature at UFC 299 in March

As for Vera, the Chone native also featured on that pay-per-view card in Boston, Massachusetts, turning in a decision win over common-foe and bantamweigh stalwart, Pedro Munhoz.

UFC CEO, Dana White tonight confirmed the bantamweight championship rematch between Sean O’Malley and Marlon Vera in a video posted on his official social media. 

First fighting back in 2020 in the co-main event of UFC 252 in August of that year, O’Malley, a product of Dana White’s Contender Series, suffered his first professional loss in the form of a first round ground strikes TKO loss to Ecuadorian contender, Vera at the UFC Apex facility.

En his route to a championship fight with Sterling earlier this year, O’Malley, 29, landed a slew of wins over the likes of Thomas Almeida, and Raulian Paiva, as well as a close, hard-fought split decision win over former champion, Petr Yan in the co-main event of UFC 280 back in October of last year.

Boasting an impressive 21-8-1 professional record, RVCA mainstay, Vera has landed triumphs over the likes of Davey Grant, and Rob Front before his victory over the above-mentioned, Munhoz, as well as two stunning high-kick knockout wins over former lightweight champion, Frankie Edgar, and former two-time bantamweight gold holder, Dominick Cruz, respectively.

Who wins at UFC 299 in March: Sean O’Malley or Marlon Vera?

Sean O’Malley and Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera trade jabs on social media: ‘Defend that belt, McGregor Wannabe’

Sean O'MalleyThe rivalry between UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and top-ten contender Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera is alive and well. Following…

Sean O'Malley

The rivalry between UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley and top-ten contender Marlon ‘Chito’ Vera is alive and well.

Following his impressive second-round knockout of Aljamain Sterling to claim the 135-pound crown at UFC 292, Sean O’Malley immediately called for a rematch with Vera, the only man to defeat him inside the Octagon. In their August 2020 meeting, Vera scored a first-round TKO over O’Malley after ‘Sugar’ suffered a leg injury in the opening minutes.

Sean O’Malley has been chomping at the bit to run it back ever since.

Now that he holds the bantamweight title, O’Malley may have the pull to make the long-awaited rematch happen, even if Vera just recently bounced back from a split decision loss to Cory Sandhagen in March.

Everything appeared to be full steam ahead once ‘Sugar’ wrapped the gold around his waist in Boston, suggesting a fight with Vera in December at UFC 296 would be next. We have neither seen nor heard from them since.

Until now.

“This bitch talking about boxing, defend that belt mcgregor wannabe,” Vera stated on social media, sending a message to Sean O’Malley.

Quickly, the bantamweight champion responded saying, “Lolz I ain’t tryin to box. Shits to ez [,] I wana fight your dumb ass.”

No official announcement has been made regarding Sean O’Malley’s return to the Octagon or who it could come against.

Sean O’Malley Has Multiple Contenders More Deserving than ‘Chito’ Vera

A rematch against Marlon Vera has a built-in story that would be easy for the UFC to sell, but there are far more deserving fighters in the stacked lightweight division, including No. 2 ranked contender Merab Dvalishvili. The Machine’ is currently sitting on a nine-fight win streak, his last victory being a decisive unanimous decision against former titleholder Petr Yan.

If O’Malley isn’t jumping directly into a rematch with Aljamain Sterling, a fight against Dvalishvili is certainly the one to make, but ‘Sugar’ seems far more interested in taking the easy road. That’s not a knock on Vera, but you’d be hard-pressed to convince anyone that ‘Chito’ would be a tougher fight compared to the ‘Funk Master’ and Merab Dvalishvili.