Sean O’Malley has an opponent in mind if Marlon Vera rematch fails to come to fruition: “I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m scared”

By Harry Kettle - September 25, 2023

UFC bantamweight champion Sean O’Malley has another opponent in mind in case he doesn’t end up fighting Marlon Vera next.

Sean O'Malley reacts to UFC 292 win

Last month, Sean O’Malley captured the UFC bantamweight championship by finishing Aljamain Sterling in a truly incredible moment. Many have since wondered what his next move will be, with ‘Suga’ himself throwing out more than a few ideas in weeks gone by. Alas, while there may be plenty of contenders in the mix, it certainly feels like the man who Sean is mentioning the most is Marlon Vera.

RELATED: SEAN O’MALLEY CLAIMS HE LOST MARLON VERA FIGHT “ON PURPOSE” TO HAVE THE REMATCH BE “MY BIGGEST FIGHT”

Still, that doesn’t guarantee we’re going to see the rematch of their contest from a few years ago, which ended in a TKO win for ‘Chito’.

For O’Malley, he’s ready to take whoever the UFC offers to him – and silence a few critics along the way.

O’Malley sets the record straight

“I remember the first time we fought: ‘Are you gonna get a rematch?’, and it’s supposed to happen,” O’Malley said. “But, we’ll see…I’ll fight whoever they want me to fight, I don’t know why everyone thinks I’m scared of Merab, I think Aljo is better than Merab and I know I’m able to knock out Aljo. It is who it is, it’s been like that, people act like I call my shots on all my fights, but I’m going to take who they give me…

“I think as a business, [me vs. Vera] makes sense. He’s coming off a win over Pedro [Munhoz]…but we’ll see.”

Quotes via MMA News

Who would you prefer to see get the shot against Sean O’Malley: Marlon Vera or Merab Dvalishvili? Will O’Malley be champion by the end of 2024? Let us know your thoughts on this, BJPENN Nation!


Topics:

Marlon Vera Merab Dvalishvili Sean O'Malley UFC