In the eyes of champion Sean O’Malley, revenge is a dish best served with sugar. Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley (17-1) seems to be set on rematching Marlon Vera (21-8) for his first title defense. Back in 2020, O’Malley and Vera faced off inside the Octagon at UFC 252. During the course of the first round, Vera’s calf kicks impaired “Sugar” severely, eventually crumbling to the floor and succumbing to a TKO defeat via elbows and punches. Since then, O’Malley has repeatedly mentioned avenging the loss and as per the 28-year-old, now is the right time.
Recent Bantamweight Crown Victory
“Sugar” recently claimed the bantamweight crown by putting Aljamain Sterling (23-4) away in the second round with strikes at UFC 292 in August. While some believe Sterling’s teammate Merab Dvalishvili should be next in line for a title shot, especially if Sterling doesn’t get the rematch, O’Malley sees this as an opportunity to avenge the only loss of his professional mixed martial arts career.
O’Malley’s Thoughts on the Rematch
In a recent interview with The Schmo, O’Malley said: “I remember the first time we fought, everyone’s like, ‘Aren’t you going to ask for the rematch?’ I said, ‘No no no, that rematch will happen when it’s supposed to happen.’ And right now, it’s supposed to happen. This is the fight that I want, but we’ll see… I think as a business, it makes sense, me vs. Chito, to make the most money,” O’Malley stated.
On the same card where O’Malley took the 135-pound crown, Vera faced Pedro Munhoz and earned a unanimous decision victory. The 30-year-old from Ecuador, winner of five of his last six fights, has repeatedly called out “Sugar” for a rematch ever since the Montana native got his hands on the belt. While O’Malley had initially mentioned a possible return to the Octagon in December, he revealed during the same interview that he would make his next UFC appearance in 2024. The promotion has hinted that a rematch between O’Malley and Vera could be the next bantamweight championship collision, but nothing is set in stone.