Marlon Vera has been on a successful run since his victory over O’Malley. With only two losses in his last seven fights, including the setback against Sandhagen, Vera’s timing and circumstances worked in his favor, leading to the rematch against O’Malley for the title.
Despite the talent pool of contenders in the bantamweight division, Vera’s win was enough to earn him a title shot, much to the surprise of Sean O’Malley. “I’m honestly surprised that it’s happening in a sense,” O’Malley revealed to Helen Yee. “I didn’t think that he would get to the title shot, and did he really deserve it after his performance over Pedro? I don’t know, but I thought, you know what? It’s time that I take him out. So, here we are and it’s very exciting.”
The clash between O’Malley and Vera presents an intriguing dynamic. While Aljamain Sterling has been knocked out before, Vera has shown incredible durability, never having been finished in his career. A victory over Vera would hold extra significance for O’Malley as he aims to make a statement in his first title defense.
O’Malley firmly believes that this rematch is the biggest fight in the division. “I think it’s an important fight from what happened the first time. I claimed that I’m undefeated and he claims that he beat me, so now March 9, we get to settle it to see who was right,” O’Malley stated. While there is a possibility the fight could go the distance, O’Malley is determined to showcase his skills and deliver a performance unlike anything seen before in the UFC.
The reigning bantamweight champion, who rose to fame through season one of Dana White’s Contender Series in 2017, fulfilled his long-awaited dream by defeating Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August. However, O’Malley faced a setback against Marlon “Chito” Vera in August 2020, when he suffered a TKO loss in the first round.
The highly anticipated rematch between these two talented bantamweights at UFC 299 is set to captivate fans and leave them in awe of the skills on display inside the Octagon. March 9 will be a night to remember as O’Malley and Vera settle their differences and determine who truly deserves to be crowned the champion in the bantamweight division.
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