Marlon Vera is gearing up for a fight. He’s sure he’s got what it takes to beat Sean O’Malley in their upcoming Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight title clash.
Vera, who has a record of 23-8, is set to face off against O’Malley, who has a record of 17-1. This isn’t their first rodeo. They’re meeting for a rematch in the main event at UFC 299, with O’Malley’s bantamweight title hanging in the balance.
Vera handed O’Malley his only professional defeat back in 2020. He did it by damaging O’Malley’s peroneal nerve with leg kicks. Then, he secured the finish with a flurry of strikes at the 4:40 mark of the opening frame.
Vera’s pretty confident about the rematch. He acknowledges O’Malley’s athleticism and knockout power but thinks the fight will go out of “Sugar” when it gets tough. He’s planning to put a beating on the champ.
In his words, “I beat the f-k out of him and walk away with a bag of cash and the belt. I really believe I’m going to make him quit. I really believe I’m going to make him just be a shell of himself and just kick his ass, almost like beg me to stop kind of thing.” He said this to Michael Bisping on the “Believe You Me” podcast.
Vera respects O’Malley’s talent. He knows O’Malley can fight, but he’s convinced that O’Malley won’t be able to keep up in a hard fight. He’s preparing to make O’Malley fight, and he’s ready for it.
In Vera’s words, “I’ll be ready. I’ll be prepared. I just know that the moment we start fighting, I know everything I’ve been through, so I’m going to get that belt. I’m going to go through him, I’m going to stop him, and I’m going to be world champion.”
On the other hand, O’Malley dismissed his loss to Vera as a fluke. He’s only willing to accept it if Vera can damage his peroneal nerve with the same accuracy in the rematch.
O’Malley, who’s 29, dethroned Aljamain Sterling with a Round 2 technical knockout at UFC 292 in August. After the fight, he called for an immediate rematch against Vera. Meanwhile, Vera is coming off a unanimous decision win over Pedro Munhoz on the same card.