Sean O'Malley plans on silencing the doubters at UFC 299.
Bantamweight O’Malley (17-1 MMA, 9-1 UFC) runs things back with Marlon Vera (21-8-1 MMA, 15-7 UFC) in the March 9 main event at Kaseya Center in Miami.
Vera handed O’Malley the lone loss of his career when he defeated him by first-round TKO at UFC 252 in August 2020 after O’Malley sustained a leg injury. O’Malley is eager to dismiss any negative notion on his durability or skills by finishing “Chito.”
“I don’t think it’s going five rounds,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “I’m finishing this dude, but I’ll be ready for war. I think he thinks, ‘Oh, I’m going to make it this war and it’s going to be this mental grind and he’s not going to be able to keep …’ – let’s go there. I will break you. I don’t think he’s going to be able to outpace me.
“For whatever reason there’s this: It’s always, ‘Oh, but he can’t wrestle. Oh, he doesn’t have enough cardio.’ It’s always something. I’ve got it all. I can do it all. If it goes five 5s and you get to see that – I don’t think it’s going to; I think I’m going to finish him. (I’m) too fast, too sharp, too focused. I’m taking this dude out.”
Since losing to Vera, O’Malley went unbeaten in six straight fights en route to capturing the bantamweight title with a second-round knockout of Aljamain Sterling at UFC 292 in August.
For more on the card, visit MMA Junkie’s event hub for UFC 299.
